Pre-College Programs

Reaching Out to Guide and Inspire

Urban Journalism Workshop
For more than 20 years, the Urban Journalism Workshop has offered aspiring journalists a sense of the real world of news reporting During this intensive two-week summer program, high schoolers use Diederich College of Communication facilities and backpacks loaded with $4,000 of equipment to boot up, record, shoot video, master iPhoto and conquer Garage Band. The result is the multimedia Web site The Urban Voice, capturing diverse perspectives and mirroring the converging worlds of media.
Click here to view the 2009 UJW site

Messmer Partnership
A growing partnership between the college and Messmer High School, a Catholic high school serving a diverse, urban population, encourages Messmer students to explore communication majors at Marquette. Diederich College faculty work with student journalists at Messmer and recruit strong candidates for the Urban Journalism Workshop. During “Messmer Day” at Marquette, students attend workshops on topics such as news interviews, broadcast operations and improvisational theatre, as well as college applications and admission. The college also works to find summer internships for outstanding Messmer students who have gone through the Urban Journalism Workshop.

Summer Debate Institute
High school students, teachers, coaches and judges from around the country come to Marquette each summer to gain expertise in the theory and practice of policy debate. Over two weeks, students focus on political, economic and philosophical issues. Through classes, research and practice debates, they sharpen their skills in preparation for competition at the highest levels.