• Foundation Scholarship Program
• High School Match Internship Program
• Teacher Internship
• Scholarship Winners
• High School Match Program
• MPA Foundation Golf Outing

Foundation Scholarship Program

The Foundation believes that community journalism is a vital part of our chosen profession, but is often slighted in the attention and sometimes in the training of our young journalists.

Promoting the interests of community journalism, along with the recognition of outstanding young people who have expressed an interest in and a concern for community journalism are some of the reasons for the Community Journalism Scholarship Awards.

Each year since 1980, the Foundation has awarded $1,000 in scholarship money to journalism students at nine public Michigan universities and one private college.

There is a selfish motive behind the scholarship program: the Foundation hopes some of the promising journalism students receiving the awards will stay at home and make their career in hometown community newspapering in Michigan.

The criteria for the scholarship award are:

• The awardees are Michigan residents (that is, they qualify for in-state tuition),
  
• have a demonstrated interest in community journalism and
  
• have journalistic potential.
  
• Also to be considered is scholastic achievement and financial need.
  

Nominations must be made by a faculty member.

For more information, contact Janet Mendler at janet@michiganpress.org, or call 517.552.2811

High School Match Internship Program

Are you a graduating senior looking for newspaper internship opportunities?

If yes, the Michigan Press Association Foundation will try to help you find a paid internship--in or near your home community--that includes a scholarship award.

This internship/scholarship program was set up to encourage high school students "to go into the important and satisfying world of community newspapers," according to Richard Milliman, president of the MPA Foundation. The Foundation directors, he says, believe that "the sooner we connect with young people to encourage them to consider journalism as a career, the more effective our appeal can be."

The program is a cooperative arrangement with an MPA member newspaper and the MPA Foundation. Internship opportunities are available in editorial, advertising, marketing, photography and circulation.

Here's how it works. You send to Janet Mendler, the material detailed in the accompanying application form. If your application is strong, the Foundation will forward the materials to an MPA member newspaper editor in your area who has agreed to participate in the program. After reviewing your application, the editor[s] may choose to call you for an interview. Participating newspapers agree to pay you a salary, set your hours and the condition of your employment, just as they would any new hire.

Once the Foundation receives proof you are enrolled either in a four-year college or university or in a community college in the fall following your internship, the MPA Foundation will award you $2,000.

In other words, MPA Foundation interns receive a paid summer job and $2,000.

"The combination of the Foundation award and the salary the student receives from the newspaper should pay most of a year's tuition at a community college or state-supported university," says Milliman.

If the student and newspaper agree, the internship and scholarship may continue for a second year and final summer.

Is there a catch? A couple. The number of scholarships statewide is limited, and newspapers may hire only one new intern per summer. For several reasons, your local newspaper may choose not to participate in this Foundation program. In 2004 and 2005, nearly 100 dailies, weeklies and shoppers have changed, or will change ownership; new owners may be unfamiliar with the Foundation and its programs and therefore unwilling to commit to hiring Foundation interns. We cannot guarantee that we can find a placement for you, but we'll try!

Please send your completed application to me at the address on the form. Questions? Contact Janet Mendler at janet@michgianpress.org, or call 517-552-2811

The High School Match Scholarship application is available to view or download HERE.

Please contact Janet Mendler for deadline information.

2010 Match Interns

Matt Buck, Allegan County News, Plainwell High School
Krystal Kozuch, The Bay City Times, Saginaw Valley State University
Alice Perrault, Petoskey News-Review, North Central Michigan College
Jessica Smith, Oceana's Herald-Journal, Ferris State University
Miranda Viglietti, Luding Daily News, Northwestern University

Teacher Internship

The journalism teacher summer internship program is designed to provide current journalism teachers in Michigan with experience in today's newsroom so the teacher can share this knowledge with students and become a more effective journalism teacher/adviser. Interns will contribute to all facets of the news business. The program is designed to promote quality journalism instruction throughout the state and encourage high school students to consider journalism as a career. The Michigan Press Association Foundation funds this program. Participants will be expected to seek contacts with newspapers in their area to establish the internship. The newspaper must be a member of the Michigan Press Association and intern applicants must be MIPA members. While final placement decisions will be approved by the MPA Foundation and the Michigan Interscholastic Press Association, the MPA Foundation and MIPA will not determine the placements.

Application Form

2010 Teacher Internship Winners

Lorena Craighead, MetroTimes

Harry Katopodis, The Oakland Press

Marilyn Hess, The Grand Rapids Press

Jennifer Richardson, Petoskey News-Review

Kate Salvadore, Northville Record/Novi News

Laura Wright, Traverse City Record-Eagle

Scholarship Winners