High school students advance knowledge during the Summer Media Academy 

Collage of pictures from Summer Media Academy
Summer Media Academy included five-day sessions where students studied journalism, advertising, public relations and entertainment and media. (Photos: Stephanie Moreno)

High school students advance knowledge during the Summer Media Academy 

August 06, 2024

Nearly 70 middle and high school students from around the country explored Grady College majors firsthand during the Summer Media Academy in June. 

Broadcast journalism students produced a newscast and multimedia journalism participants wrote articles for a news website. Participants in the advertising and public relations session crafted a mock campaign for Athens Area Humane Society. Entertainment and media studies participants wrote scripts and made short films. View their final projects here.

Instructors included Joe Dennis (MA ’07, PhD ’16); Isabella Martinez (AB ‘23), Kimberlee Smith (MA ’23); and Denetra Walker, assistant professor of journalism at Grady College. EMST major Luka Briglevich and journalism graduate students Averi Caldwell (AB ‘23), Karmen Morrison and Sam Tupper assisted.

Industry professionals, many of whom are faculty, staff and alumni, visited classrooms to teach on specialty topics. Participants also took field trips related to their area of study. Trips included tours of Athena Studios, The Red and Black, See.Spark.Go agency and WUGA.

The Summer Media Academy is a partnership between the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication and UGA’s Georgia Center for Continuing Education’s Summer Academy program. Read more about the partnership in this feature story on UGA’s Public Service and Outreach’s website.

Information about 2025 Summer Media Academy opportunities and need-based scholarships will be available at www.ugagspa.org/camp in early winter. 

Summer Media Academy 2024

Two young women smiling and giving a thumbs up, one holding a black folder labeled University of Georgia while standing in a classroom or auditorium at the Summer Media Academy.
A group of students sit in a lounge area with laptops, listening to a woman speaking near a TV screen. The wall behind them displays the words The Red & Black, highlighting an engaging session at the Summer Media Academy.
Two young people stand on a brick sidewalk at the Summer Media Academy, one looking through a camera on a tripod while the other watches. Both wear white clothing and sneakers. Trees and street traffic are visible in the background.
A group of teens and an adult stand inside a radio station studio at the Summer Media Academy, listening attentively as the adult speaks and gestures near a soundboard and microphones. The studio walls are covered with black acoustic panels.
Five people stand indoors, smiling at the camera. Three in the center hold certificates of achievement from the Summer Media Academy. A display screen and a College of Journalism sign are visible in the background.
A young woman stands and speaks in front of a camera outside a shop with a BearHugHoney.com sign, as part of the Summer Media Academy. Another person films her while art, shirts, and a WELCOME sign are displayed at the shop.
A group of people sit around a conference table at the Summer Media Academy, listening to a woman in a yellow dress near a screen that says, “Introductions: we are FIRED UP.” The group appears attentive and engaged in the meeting.
A group of students at the Summer Media Academy stands in a photography studio, listening to two women speak near a backdrop and lighting equipment. The studio features bright lights, black curtains, and various gear.

Author: Stephanie Moreno, s.moreno@uga.edu