Collegian Media Group receives $40,000 gift for summer journalism program
Sept. 27, 2023
High school students across Kansas said they’re now “inspired” to practice journalism at their high schools and consider bringing their skills back to Kansas State.
For 60 years the Collegian Media Group’s summer Flint Hills Publications Workshop (FHPW) has been teaching high school students to lead their staffs and practice critical journalism skills.
“We want them to unleash their creativity and produce content they can use to showcase in a portfolio when applying to college, Collegian Media Group’s director, David Levy, said.
Levy said, after having to cancel the 2022 workshop because many parents kept their children home in the wake of the 2022 Uvalde mass shootings in Texas, the FHPW is back on track. The workshop that took place July 16-18 attracted 24 students plus their advisers from Osage City, Olathe, Ulysses, Derby, Seneca and Kansas City. The program offered six separate tracks: social media, writing and reporting, advising, graphic design, leadership and digital photography.
“We really feel the resources we have now are helping to attract students and their advisers to look at the workshop and K-State more closely,” CMG’s assistant director, Daren Lee Lewis said. Lewis serves as the FHPW’s director.
With support from Lewis and CMG adviser Hallie Everett, Levy secured a $40,000 gift from a private donor specifically for FHPW. The gift allowed CMG to purchase new cameras, laptops, other gear and double the number of scholarships for students and advisers who would not otherwise have the funds to attend.
“In the past, CMG would offer three student scholarships and the A.Q. Miller School of Media and Communication would match it. The gift which is now endowed will allow CMG to fund six scholarships," Levy said. "With the A.Q. Miller School’s continued support, we can now offer 12 scholarships.”
Levy added, “We keep saying K-State students are the future stewards of the world. Well, our students came from someplace and that place is high school, so let’s begin training them now.”
During the conference Levy showed the students and their high school advisers a video inviting K-State students from all academic disciplines across campus to join CMG. Minutes after the presentation, Lewis overheard students in the hallways saying, “I am so inspired right now. This is where I want to come to school.”
About Collegian Media Group
Collegian Media Group publishes the Collegian newspaper, Royal Purple yearbook and Manhappenin’ magazine. The organization operates as a 501(c)3 under IRS rules. Most of CMG’s revenue derives from student activity fees, advertising sales, yearbook sales, tuition from a summer workshop for high schools in Kansas, and other endeavors. Students across all academic disciplines work on the publications to build portfolios and skill sets they can use in any workplace environment. They gain teamwork, communication, and leadership skills. CMG operates in Kedzie Hall, Room 103. Students can visit the office anytime to learn how to get involved.