AAJA Announces George Washington University as Host of JCamp 2016

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - November 20, 2015) - The Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) announced today that the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs will host AAJA's student program JCamp, a six-day multicultural journalism training program for high school students interested in pursuing journalism as a career.

JCamp will be held August 1 - 6, 2016 and will celebrate its 16th year developing the next generation of journalists. Over 600 students have completed the program since it was launched in 2001.

"We are thrilled to host JCamp in our halls again this year," said Frank Sesno, director of George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs. "We share a vision with the AAJA that journalism professionals must reflect the diversity of our global community and bring cultural perspective into their roles of informing the public. We're happy to help JCamp provide this amazing learning opportunity to high school students who will hopefully become the next generation of media professionals."

Forty-two high school students from diverse ethnic, socioeconomic, geographic and cultural backgrounds are chosen to participate each year, with all expenses paid thanks to individual donors and foundations including the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Top professional journalists from around the country volunteer to mentor and speak to the students throughout the week. Past speakers have included Joie Chen, anchor of Al Jazeera America's "America Tonight"; Kevin Merida, senior vice president of ESPN and editor-in-chief of "The Undefeated" and Bob Schieffer, moderator of CBS News' "Face the Nation." JCamp returns to Washington, D.C. for the third time since its inception.

"We are thrilled to be returning to the George Washington University for a third year. We couldn't ask for a better partner or a better location, considering all the political news that will be buzzing about in August 2016," said Neal Justin, JCamp co-director and TV critic at The Minneapolis Star Tribune. "We are particularly excited about having so many of our graduates give back as both teachers and guests, continuing to help extend our family and ensure that the future of journalism is in great hands."

Arelis Hernandez, who attended JCamp in 2004 during the program's first year at GWU, will join Neal Justin and Politico's Clea Benson as a program director. "JCamp is where it all started for me career-wise and is a big part of where I am today," said Hernandez, currently a reporter at the Washington Post. "I was honored to be welcomed back as a mentor for a program I love and as a leader, I will do my utmost to ensure it continues to inspire future generations of journalists."

The application for JCamp 2016 will be available at www.aaja.org beginning December 1, 2015. Students of all ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds are encouraged to apply.