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.
D.C. area high school students interested in pursuing careers in media are invited to apply for our Urban Journalism Workshop (UJW), an annual program that teaches journalism fundamentals through interactive lectures, hands-on training, and field trips. The deadline to apply for our 2024 session is Sunday, Jan. 7 at midnight EST.
Professional journalists and educators will provide mentorship and supervision to program participants. Students will meet in person from early March to late April at American University’s School of Communications. At the end of the program, students will report and produce their own multimedia stories.
We welcome all high students who appreciate our mission to apply, regardless of their identity or background. The program is free.
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.
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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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