HSJI is excited to welcome you to IU’s campus for a week (or two!) of fun. We’re committed to making sure you have the best summer possible and go home with newly developed media skills.
As with any trip, there is some preparation required. Visit the pages linked from this page to learn more about what you need to do before you come.
Students ages 14 to 18 who are in eighth through 12th grade during the registration period are eligible. In other words, if the student is currently in high school or a rising high school freshman.
The most common time to attend HSJI is after your sophomore or junior year, but some students attend more than one summer (and a few students have been known to attend four summers in a row!).
Most participants are from the United States, but each year, some international students attend, too.
We also have professional development opportunities for high school teachers.
A student who has the following qualities will get the most out of HSJI:
Yes. Please follow the instructions for how to pay by check in the confirmation email you receive when you complete Step 2 of the HSJI registration process (creating your online payment profile).
Indiana University’s school code is 001809.
In short, no, our workshops are not for academic credit because program participants are not officially enrolled at the university. However, our instructors are top-notch Indiana high school teachers and Media School faculty — alongside teaching assistants and counselors who are current IU students, many of whom are journalism majors.
There are also many other benefits to attending HSJI, including making new connections and networking with people who share the same interests, experiencing a taste of college so you are more prepared for campus life when you arrive at college, and hands-on training with state-of-the-art equipment and facilities at The Media School. Students leave HSJI with new skills and are better prepared for roles on their high school media staff or personal projects.
First, select the workshop you would like to take. Registration is a two-step process: 1) Complete the registration form, and 2) Create a payment profile. When you create the payment profile you have the option to select "pay now" or pay later." If you would like to apply for financial assistance, complete a grant application. You must also complete the required forms before you come to campus.
For more information, check out this video:
HSJI registration is open from mid-January through mid-June. When you register, you select your preferred (and second-choice) workshop. Your spot in your preferred workshop is reserved as soon as you complete both registration steps. Unless you hear otherwise, you are already accepted into the workshop you selected. After you pay, we will send you an email confirming payment and the name of the workshop.
For the courses that have a maximum capacity, it is first-come, first-served. We will let you know via email if the course is already full and place you on the waitlist. If you get put on the waitlist, we will let you know right away if a slot opens up or if you have been placed in your second-choice workshop. The most common time for slots to open up is during the three weeks before HSJI starts.
Please note that if the payment deadline passes and you haven’t paid, you could lose your spot to another student who has already paid and completed the required forms.
Students who attend both HSJI sessions may stay in the dorm over the weekend. When possible, they are placed with a roommate who is also attending both sessions. Since the majority of HSJI students only attend one session, it is usually fewer than a dozen students who stay over. But floor counselors will be on hand to supervise and plan activities, and the dining halls will be open. At the beginning of the weekend, the counselors confer with students to determine how the students would like to spend their free time on Friday afternoon/night and Saturday. In the past, counselors have taken students to the movie theatre, arranged a game night, and gone bowling with students at the Indiana Memorial Union. Students may also plan to go to the gym, use available sports equipment on the courts next to the dorm, or take a campus tour. Students who stay over must still abide by all the same rules and regulations, except that lights out is at 11:30 p.m.
For 2026, HSJI participants with have IU conference accounts that will not need to be set up ahead of time as in previous years.
TBD
