The Urban Journalism Workshop (UJW) is an annual program that teaches D.C. area high school students the fundamentals of journalism through interactive lectures, hands-on training, and field trips.
Professional journalists, educators, and senior journalism college students provide mentorship and supervision to program participants, who meet for at least eight consecutive Saturdays each spring.
UJW aims to identify and rectify the under-representation of Black people and other minority groups in newsrooms across the country by building a diverse pipeline of future journalists and media leaders that’s critical for equitable representation in news coverage and decision-making.
The late George E. Curry, a journalist and a longtime champion of the Black press who died in August 2016 at the age of 69, started the UJW program in 1986 after he moved from St. Louis to the nation’s capital to become the editor of the now defunct Emerge magazine.
Since then, the Washington Association of Black Journalists has been sustaining the program and Curry’s legacy. In June 2021, the WABJ Executive Board established in Curry’s honor an academic scholarship to support to a graduating high school senior who has completed all program requirements and will enroll in an accredited college or university.
UJW is WABJ’s premier community service initiative, and it runs every Saturday from early March to early May at American University, a longtime supporter of the program. Some UJW alumni now work or have previously worked for companies including The Los Angeles Times, The Associated Press, NBC Owned Television Stations, ESPN, Sirius/XM, Spectrum News, and local TV network affiliates across the country.
The Urban Journalism Workshop (UJW) is an annual program that teaches D.C. area high school students the fundamentals of journalism through interactive lectures, hands-on training, and field trips.
Professional journalists, educators, and senior journalism college students provide mentorship and supervision to program participants, who meet for at least eight consecutive Saturdays each spring.
UJW aims to identify and rectify the under-representation of Black people and other minority groups in newsrooms across the country by building a diverse pipeline of future journalists and media leaders that’s critical for equitable representation in news coverage and decision-making.
The late George E. Curry, a journalist and a longtime champion of the Black press who died in August 2016 at the age of 69, started the UJW program in 1986 after he moved from St. Louis to the nation’s capital to become the editor of the now defunct Emerge magazine.
Since then, the Washington Association of Black Journalists has been sustaining the program and Curry’s legacy. In June 2021, the WABJ Executive Board established in Curry’s honor an academic scholarship to support to a graduating high school senior who has completed all program requirements and will enroll in an accredited college or university.
UJW is WABJ’s premier community service initiative, and it runs every Saturday from early March to early May at American University, a longtime supporter of the program.
WABJ is now accepting applications for our 2025 Urban Journalism Workshop. The program has been teaching local high school students the fundamentals of journalism through interactive lectures, hands-on training, and field trips since 1986.
UJW is led by professional journalists and educators who provide mentorship and supervision to program participants. Students must attend in-person sessions from early March to late April at American University’s School of Communications, a long-time WABJ partner.
At the end of the program, students use the skills they learned to report and produce their own multimedia stories.
The program is free. We encourage all students in the DMV area interested in pursuing careers in media and appreciate our mission to consider applying regardless of their identity or background.
UJW aims to address the under-representation of Black people and other minority groups in newsrooms across the country by building a diverse pipeline of future journalists and leaders that’s critical for equitable representation in news coverage and decision-making.
The late George E. Curry, a journalist and a longtime champion of the Black press who died in August 2016 at the age of 69, started the UJW program in 1986 after he moved from St. Louis to the nation’s capital to become the editor of the now defunct Emerge magazine.
Since then, WABJ has been sustaining the program and Curry’s legacy. In June 2021, the WABJ Executive Board established in Curry’s honor an annual academic scholarship that is presented to at least one graduating high school senior student who has completed all program requirements and will enroll in an accredited college or university.
Alumni of the program now work or have previously worked for major news outlets including The Los Angeles Times, The Associated Press, NBC Owned Television Stations, ESPN, Sirius/XM, Spectrum News, and local TV network affiliates across the country.
Assistant Managing Editor for Culture and Talent, Los Angeles Times
Environment & Health Inequality Reporter, Verite News New Orleans
News Anchor, WUSA9
For partnership, funding or general inquiries, please email WABJ President Khorri Atkinson at president@wabjdc.org. Your support ensures our mission is successfully delivered.
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The Washington Association of Black Journalists (WABJ) provides members with ongoing professional education opportunities and advocates for greater diversification of the profession.
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