Learn about Summer 2025 Pre-College opportunities at UMass Amherst. Our residential and online pre-college programs are designed to give you a preview of the UMass student experience, including college-level academics and being part of a learning community of high school students from all across the U.S. and the world. Our programs feature faculty-led courses, state-of-the-art facilities, and the #1 campus dining in the U.S., as ranked by the Princeton Review. Find out more!
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Black Lives Matter, #MeToo, the Dreamers, abortion rights, the “Manosphere,” “America First” nationalism, immigration, mass incarceration, LGBTQ rights…
There’s no shortage of social issues and social movements about which Americans harbor strong feelings and for which they are willing to fight one another. In this super-polarized environment, advancing the conversation constructively and seeking solutions is no easy thing — but it can be done. The tools of journalism can help everyone (not just future journalists) move beyond outraged social media posting and empower themselves and others to tell credible, moving stories that make a difference.
You unfortunately cannot physically bring every individual into diverse communities to meet people with different backgrounds and learn from them. But inspired storytelling can bring diverse communities to every individual and can help them flex their empathy muscles. Stories can change the world.
In this 2-week course, you will learn the basics of journalistic writing and will work on several social issues-related stories of your choice. You will learn to interview people, locate useful data online, and write engaging anecdotes and descriptions. You will write news stories, profiles, historical features, explanatory features, reported first-person essays, and Q&As. With your permission, some of the stories you write will be submitted for publication to a local newspaper/online outlet.
No previous experience with journalism is required. Students should bring a laptop. Recording devices will be provided by the UMass Journalism Department.
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This course is offered at the UMass Amherst campus as a residential program. Local students may apply to attend as a commuter.
Cost and Session Information
Dates: June 29 – July 12, 2025
Two-Week Intensives: $3,907 residential / $2,262 commuter
*Program fees listed above include tuition and room & board; materials and software may be required.
*All programs require submission of $45 application fee.
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