High School Course 2025
Our journalism course allows high school students to explore journalism and communications from a Biblical worldview and get hands-on experience and skills by reporting for multiple mediums!
WJI focuses on developing students' storytelling skills in print, digital, radio, and video. In addition to honing their journalism skills, students will also get a taste of what's involved in public relations, broadcast, digital media, and public speaking. Keeping class sizes small, students receive line-by-line input on their stories from journalists with decades of reporting experience.
This five-day camp is a great place to get a taste of life on a college campus, meet professors, and practice a craft in a chaperoned environment. Dordt University journalism, public relations, and communications professors will be leading the instruction. Activities and lessons will leave students with an experience they are not soon to forget!
WJI and Dordt University’s mission of equipping the next generation to hold to Biblical truth has gone hand in hand for years. As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by U.S. News and World Report, the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.
Please contact office@worldji.com if you would like to be notified when registration opens. The course dates, June 2-6, are pending confirmation and will be confirmed before registration opens in January. The limited seating will be offered on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Students who are flying to the course are encouraged to look at tickets from Sioux Gateway Airport (SUX) or Sioux Falls Regional Airport (FSD). WJI can provide transportation to and from the airport.
Curriculum:
Instructors: *may include but are not limited to the following journalists
Dordt University Communication Professors
As Washington Bureau Chief for WORLD magazine for more than five years, Lee's assignments sent him from Capitol Hill to the White House to the Supreme Court. But his reporting also has taken him beyond the Capital Beltway. Leading up to the 2010 elections, Lee embarked on a 10-day, 4,225 mile cross-country trip through competitive congressional districts in 16 states. In 2004-2005, as a reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Pitts was embedded with a National Guard Regimental Combat unit in Iraq for nearly 7 months, going on humanitarian and combat missions. Before joining WORLD, Lee served as press secretary for U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander. Now in his fifteenth year in the media world Pitts currently leads the journalism program at Dordt University and is the executive director of the WORLD Journalism Institute.
Prinsen has an extensive background in advertising, public relations, and market research. He served in the integrated marketing and communication industry at Hy-Vee grocery, Kraft Foods, and Biomet Orthopedics, before landing back at Dordt his alma mater, to pursue his dream of teaching communication. Prinsen is also gaining experience in a new industry serving as a reserve deputy for the Woodbury County Sherrif's office in addition to teaching.
Bruce Kuiper
Currently focused on cultural and interpersonal communication, Kuiper’s background in broadcasting, public relations, speech, and writing has developed his teaching in a wide variety of locations including Minneapolis, China, Los Angeles, and Thailand. In addition to teaching, he is also the director of the speech and debate program at Dordt University.
After serving for seven years as a missionary in an African village, Volkers roamed the planet for a decade as a photojournalist and documentary filmmaker. He now serves at Dordt University as a digital media production instructor.
Lodewyk has spent time in the news world as a sports director, news reporter, and anchor for television, and radio and television play-by-play announcer. He now serves as the Dordt University Media Director, which includes using a broadcast remote production truck to live stream multi-camera coverage of Dordt’s athletic teams.
What Are WJI Alumni Saying?
The most important [challenge] was the time limit. It was super cool how we packed it all in. We were learning so much. It was challenging to get all the projects and editing done. It was challenging to work creatively with other students.
It was a bit surreal because I was just amazed that [the professors] who have so much knowledge, were investing in me and were wanting to share that with me so that I could do hopefully just as well. They were excited to share their expertise. They've just done incredible things [and] cared about me learning.
We conducted the interviews at the baseball game, we went to [name of] the new station, did a bunch of different aspects of journalism. We got to be in front of the camera and behind the camera. We got to write the paper and do all the editing ourselves. After that, I see that I like photography and being behind the camera.
I know that whatever career path God leads me into, I want to be an effective communicator, whether it involves directly writing, doing journalism or reporting or writing on the side. I want to be an effective investigator and communicator of ideas for Christ.