If you are a member of the Journalism Education Association (JEA) and keep up with the ListServ, no doubt you have seen many camps across the country sharing information, dates and costs. There are newspaper, yearbook, adviser-only, video and photography classes offered in almost all 50 states, and now is the time to plan. Check out the posts on the ListServ, talk to your yearbook rep, do a simple online search, ask other advisers…..you’ll probably find one geared to your budget, location and other needs.

In previous years — when I have not taken kids to Iowa, Texas or even Spokane — we have held a multi-day camp in Great Falls, which gives us the chance to work on photography skills, sell advertisements and build relationships with advertisers, go rafting on the Missouri River and take a hike or two. We have rented cabins in the Highwood  Mountains and next to Glacier National Park, too.

If you don’t have it in your budget to travel a long distance, staying close to home and planning useful exercises and letting your editors get to know one another and the new kids can be a lot of fun.