The School of The New York Times NYC Summer Academy

The School of The New York Times NYC Summer Academy offers a range of two-week courses that tackle topics in journalism, media, technology, arts, culture, sports, fashion, business, and more. Each Summer Academy course draws on the current global cultural landscape and industry insight to provide students with in-depth explorations of subjects that impact the world and make headlines. NYC Summer Academy students are taught by award-winning Times journalists and industry experts carefully selected by The School of The New York Times for their professional expertise, their interest in the subject matter, and their ability to teach and inspire our students. Summer Academy provides students with an immersive environment in which they learn, investigate and explore while having fun with friends, mentors, and instructors who share their passions and interests. Academic and nonacademic components of the program are integrated to form a holistic approach that ensures students are making the most of their time both inside and outside the classroom.

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Students can elect to attend Summer Academy as either a residential or day student and can take one or more two-week courses, which run from early June to early August. Course offerings include: 

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• Writing on Tech: Reporting on Innovation - Delve into controversies such as facial recognition, COVID alert apps, anti-cheating software and student tracking algorithms, learning how to think and write critically about some of the thorniest ethical challenges facing society.
• Immigration in New York - Dive into what lies at the core of New York — the city’s vital immigrant population — and learn how the complex, ever-changing roles of law, journalism and culture impact the current debate.
• Free Speech & Free Press Rights Today - Explore contemporary free speech questions by examining key Supreme Court cases that provide answers and create a practical framework for understanding our First Amendment rights today. The impact of these First Amendment issues on journalists and the media will also be discussed.
• Opinion Writing - Discover journalistic techniques and stylistic tricks to help communicate concisely and persuasively while simultaneously cultivating your unique style and perspective.
• Reporting on Diverse Voices - Expand your view of journalism through an investigation of under-represented voices in reporting.
• Writing for Television: Inside the Writers’ Room - Master the fundamentals of outlining a story and executing an episode in proper script form while working in the “writers’ room” and creating original work.
• Political Commentary - Learn journalistic techniques and stylistic tricks to communicate political analysis concisely and persuasively while developing your own unique voice in the epicenter of political discourse.
• Creative Writing - Hone writing skills and explore contemporary creative works as readers and writers, using New York and its rich, cultural universe as a habitat.
• Entrepreneurship for Social Impact - Use your entrepreneurial spirit for good and investigate how business and finance can be leveraged to change society for the better.
• The City as Muse & Subject: An Introduction to Critical Thinking - Explore how artists and writers have thought about and been inspired by the city and join the conversation, asking what a city is, how it works and what it can help us understand.
• Reporting on Public Policy & Activism - Tackle the most challenging issues facing the United States and learn what it takes to be a changemaker. 
• Writing the Big City: Reporting in New York - Learn essential skills in order to produce insightful, ethical reporting — conduct interviews, create informative, entertaining content and discover the unseen amid millions of people in New York City.
• Sports Management - Learn the business of sports firsthand from professionals, experiencing exciting sectors of the ever-changing sports industry through site visits and sporting events.
• Photojournalism as Art - Build creative and technical skills in order to visually express an artistic and narrative perspective through studying photojournalism both as a practical and an aesthetic venture.
• Writing for Film - Study and master the fundamentals of writing for the big screen as you take an original short film idea from concept to polished screenplay.
• DIY Filmmaking - Learn the fundamentals of filmmaking through workshops and hands-on moviemaking exercises with everyday equipment, working to bring an idea to production.
• Sports Storytelling - Dig into journalistic techniques and stylistic tricks to tell effective, meaningful sports stories in a variety of forms.
• Advanced Media Methods: Visual Storytelling - Explore the craft of storytelling using a diverse set of visual media — from comics to photography to video.
• Fundamentals of Editing: Producing the Paper - Hone the critical skills that New York Times editors use to assess staff work for clarity, precision and accuracy in order to ensure the quality and impact of any piece.
• Pop Music as Art & Business - Investigate the cultural, historical and financial sides of the music industry by exploring the worlds of creative fandom and studying how music intersects with society and politics.
• From Page to Stage: Playwriting, Performance & Production: Take one step closer to the lights on Broadway - build essential theater skills and start carving out your own creative professional path.
• A Million Lives in the Law - Get an inside look at the practice of law — the courtroom, the law firm, the press room and the boardroom — while exploring what working as a legal professional really means.
• A Way with Words: The Art of Communication - Gain confidence and skill in the essential areas of communication and critical thinking that can help you impact individuals and society.
• Inside the UN - Experience an insider’s view of one of the world’s most influential organizations and examine how it operates on and impacts the international stage.
• Introduction to the UN & Human Rights Studies - Experience an insider’s view of one of the world’s most influential organizations and examine how it operates on and impacts the international stage in the area of Human Rights. Join the continued fight for dignity and freedom for all, learning from experts who are on the front lines.
• Reporting on Style & Fashion - Learn about the behind the scenes aspects of fashion journalism and all that it involves.
• The New Narrative: Podcasting & Video Storytelling - Become a new media innovator – hone your technical skills for two exceptional storytelling methods that stand out in a rapidly changing landscape. 
• Writing About Youth Culture: Race, Identity & Social Behavior - Develop your unique voice by using your perspective to explore and write about youth culture and the coming-of-age experience.
• Climate Change in the News: Reporting on the Environment - Investigate the issues driving climate change and delve into the impact on the global environment and our lives.
• Introduction to Investigative Journalism - Acquire tools to uncover secrets and shine light on the truth: discover the tenets of investigative journalism and learn how to apply techniques, whether working on-the-scene or from afar,
• Writing About Food Culture in NYC - Explore the amazing culinary world of New York through an in-depth look at the restaurants, reviews and the business of Food Culture in the city.
• The Foreign Correspondent: Global Reporting - Learn how to find and report compellingly on international stories in an increasingly dynamic world and a rapidly changing media landscape.
• Feature Writing for Industry - Step into the shoes of an industry insider to uncover fascinating trends and learn how to write about them for a wide range of readers. 

• Open to high school students in grades 10-12 and graduating seniors.
• Students must be age 15 and older by the start of the term. 

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• Early deadline: early January
• Priority deadline: late February (financial aid applications also due at this time)
• Regular deadline: early April 

• Completed online application
• Transcript
• References
• Short-answer essay responses
• Work/writing sample (optional)

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• Limited financial assistance is awarded based on a combination of merit and need. To be considered for financial aid, students must submit a completed program application, followed by a financial aid application.

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