ThreeSixty Camp Inspires Next Generation of Journalists
On a college campus, it’s not shocking to see curiosity at work. Though over the summer at the University of St. Thomas, the college’s demographic looks a bit younger. That’s thanks to its many camps– including the ThreeSixty Journalism Multimedia Storytelling Institute.
This particular camp is held four days each week for three weeks. It’s a competitive camp to be a part of, but many local kids got a chance to join this year, including multiple Wayzata High School students.
“I am just learning more and more every day,” said Muhammad Memon, who decided to do the camp after encouragement from his sister.
Memon, alongside his teammates, is learning to become a reporter. Each team will create a news story, a video package story and social media content from the information they collect throughout the camp. Every day is dedicated to a different part of the reporting process– including news gathering, writing and recording anchor introductions.
The students’ stories are published on the various outlets they’re associated with.
The camp, sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota, allows students to focus on stories about health equity. This year, the overarching theme is about addiction and recovery.
ThreeSixty campers conduct an interview during the first day of the camp’s second week.
Teamwork at Play
The kids aren’t working alone. Stories are set up for them with assistance by ThreeSixty staff and industry professionals. On Monday, Memon’s group was assisted by WCCO Reporter Marielle Mohs. Other people from different outlets around the Twin Cities are also helping the process move along.
Memon said he enjoys that the professionals help guide his unique voice as a writer.
“Just the freedom of it. To write how you want, and you have a lot of help as well,” he said.
Each member of his team at camp has a different focus. Memon’s the producer and writer, while Alaia Scroggins will be the video editor alongside Smit Bhardwaj. Bhardwaj, who will be a sophomore at Wayzata, said he prefers the prep work the best.
“My favorite part is finding out the information. So the interviews, the research, whatever has to do with learning more!” Bhardwaj said.
The kids interviewed members of the Minnesota Recovery Connection for their piece. That’s a St. Paul-based group that offers resources and peer support for people with substance use disorder. Though it was a complex topic, Bhardwaj said he liked the challenge– and is anticipating more.
“As I progress through life, there’s going to be harder topics I’ll have to talk about, and harder topics I’m going to have to research!” he said.
Memon and Bhardwaj sit to interview their subject. Marielle Mohs, a reporter for WCCO, helped them set up and record the interview.
Broader Goals
ThreeSixty Executive Director Kenzie O’Keefe said the addiction and recovery theme was highly requested. Ultimately, ThreeSixty’s goal is to educate and diversify journalism.
“We are trying to train a next generation of storytellers who will represent the communities that they will ultimately serve,” O’Keefe said.
O’Keefe said ThreeSixty has many goals: build racial and economic education, connect students to careers and educate students in journalism in many ways.
“Journalism skills are life skills. They’re democracy skills, they’re the skills that young people need in order to become the leaders our community needs more broadly,” O’Keefe said.
It all comes back to curiosity at its core.
Three Sixty offers camps year-round for all kinds of writers. They also provide one full-ride scholarship each year to the University of St. Thomas for a student looking to pursue an emerging media degree. Any student who attends a camp is eligible to apply for the scholarship.
