The University of New Mexico is collaborating on college and high school student convergence/multimedia projects Sunday, July 26-Saturday, Aug. 1 in conjunction with the Native American Journalists Association's 25th anniversary convention, to be held in Albuquerque. Students in the projects will create multimedia news content to be featured at the NAJA Web site.
The Department of Communication and Journalism hosts the high school portion, Project Phoenix. The camp welcomes 16 high school students representing the following tribes: Laguna Pueblo, Navajo, Creek, Yup'ik, Navajo/Lakota, Oglala Lakota, Caddo, Rosebud Sioux, Cherokee, Yakama and
Choctaw.
Students will learn and practice multimedia journalism, story development, field research, journalism for the Web, design, photography and broadcast journalism. They will be housed in UNM residence halls and mentored by UNM Communication and Journalism faculty, alumni and NAJA professional mentors from across the country.
At the Hyatt Regency in downtown Albuquerque where the main conference is held, 10 college students will gather representing UNM, Haskell Indian Nations University, University of Oklahoma, Occidental College, University of Missouri, Ball State University and New Mexico State University. They will be mentored by media professionals from across the country representing NAJA - including two UNM alumni - and the National Association of Black Journalists and National Association of Hispanic Journalists.
The projects and convention receive support from UNM's Department of Communication and Journalism, Department of Native American Studies and Division of Student Affairs, with additional support from American Indian Student Services, Indigenous Nations Library Program, Native American student organizations and KUNM.
The 2009 NAJA National Convention will be held Thursday, July 30-Saturday, Aug. 1. For registration and additional information, visit 2009 NAJA National Convention.
For more information about the college and high school student multimedia projects, contact Mary K. Bowannie, Native American studies lecturer, mkbow@unm.edu, or Judith White, communication and journalism assistant professor and Project Phoenix co-chair, jmw49@unm.edu.
Also visit the departments of Native American Studies, and Communication and Journalism.
Media Contact: Sari Krosinsky, (505) 277-1583; e-mail: michal@unm.edu