Participate in the sixth edition of the sCOOL Media Summer Camp. The camp will bring together 20 high school students in grades 8 through 12 from across the state from July 1-8. The location will be announced on their website soon.
Join in for an exciting, fun-filled week with your peers where you’ll have the opportunity to step into the shoes of a real journalist, searching for the most interesting stories. The sCOOL Media Journalism Camp is completely free of charge. It is organized by the Association of European Journalists, the Bulgarian-American Fulbright Commission, and the America for Bulgaria Foundation, but to participate you have to convince us that you deserve to be part of this all-star team.
Why the all-star team? Our team includes participants from previous editions of the camp who are now among the best young journalists in Bulgaria and work for prestigious media outlets. Others chose a different career path but continue to use the skills they have acquired.
At the camp, you will have the opportunity to gain new and interesting knowledge from the best Bulgarian journalists, as well as special guests from abroad who will guide you through the secrets of the journalistic profession and work with you on your projects. We’ll work, have fun, discuss, and look for interesting places, objects, and people. And that’s not all – the organizers will cover all your travel, food and accommodation costs.
The working language of the camp is Bulgarian, but participants should also be fluent in English.
If you want to win a place at the boot camp, follow these steps:
1. Send an idea for material and fill in the application form.
The topics you can write about have to be interesting for you and your peers. Can you add key questions about the city you live in? What do you think are the current issues that the media needs to pay attention to?
To make it interesting and fun for you, choose the topic you are most interested in and submit a story proposal (a few paragraphs will do). The description of the idea should be short and answer the Five W’s: Who, What, Where, When, and Why (remember the How). Tell what makes your proposal for material unique and interesting. As you draft the description, consider the following questions: Why do I want to tell this story? Why is this story relevant and important? What new things can I say and learn that are interesting and significant? Is there an informational occasion and will I have access to sources and information to be able to develop the story into a journalistic piece?
The story idea submissions deadline: 14 April 2025
2. Selected applicants will be invited to apply and have a consultation with an experienced journalist. You will be informed by 22 April 2025 if a story proposal has been selected and will go on to compete for a place at sCOOL Media‘s summer camp. If your topic is one of those selected, you will receive detailed feedback and the opportunity for a 30-minute conversation with an experienced journalist who will provide guidance on how best to develop your proposal. You will be contacted between 14-22 April 2025.
Turn yourself into an investigative reporter and submit a completed story on a topic of interest to you. Selected applicants will receive guidance and additional information on how to develop their idea into a journalistic piece.
The deadline for sending the materials: 30 April 2025
Materials can be in any format: text, audio, video, and multimedia.
You will have one week to edit your material, but this will happen after you receive feedback from a professional editor. The best submissions will be published on the sCOOL Media website. Up to 20 young people will have the opportunity to spend an unforgettable week full of fun, emotion, and lots of new knowledge that will help them develop their writing in the most interesting way possible.
Important dates for the camp:
Story idea submission: 14 April 2025.
Getting feedback and consultation with an experienced journalist: 14-22 April 2025.
Preparing of the journalists’ materials: 30 April 2025.
Editing and sending the final version: 7 May 2025.
Ranking of candidates: 1 June 2025.
What will you get?
- the opportunity to participate in a free one-week summer camp;
- the opportunity to meet in person and learn from first-class foreign and Bulgarian journalists with extensive experience in the media;
- the opportunity to publish their stories in Bulgarian and English on the sCOOL Media website;
- ongoing mentoring and advice from experienced editors;
- membership in the summer camp alumni network.
- The opportunity to join the sCOOL Media editorial team after the summer camp and continue to improve their reporting skills;
A mandatory criterion for participation is that the student must be in high school. Winners will be announced in June 2025.
If you have questions, email [email protected].
Good luck!
