How to Intern

A Backpack Journalist ™ (www.abackpackjournalist.com) program provides educational and emotional support for Military Youth 12-18 through the deployment cycle, including reintegration and provides training on various media to allow youth to express themselves and help connect with their parents/family/other youth.

The curriculum of A Backpack Journalist provides youth hands-on experience, combining the basics of writing, photography, film making, songwriting, and poetry and gathering and reporting with the latest, greatest tech tools.

A Backpack Journalist uses lap tops with photo and songwriting editing, graphic and production software; portable, wireless networking; digital cameras and pocket camcorders and cell phones.  CANON, USA provides our team with digital film cameras when we travel and need to film!

The core of the program helps youth develop their writing skills and expand their education, while underneath it also helps a youth find their “voice” and a means to express themselves. Encouraging creative expression through a variety of media applications has shown to be successful in the trainings to date and is one of the goals of A Backpack Journalist. Having fun, while learning, is utmost also. All program content is reviewed by a licensed psychologist.

A requirement:  once accepted, an Intern is required to read FOUR STARS – a book about 4 Generals who are considered tobe responsible for changing the culture within the US ARMY.   This book shares openly the personal and professional lives of each of these 4-star Generals.  We recommend this highly for all youth who question their own abilities!  While this is clearly a book about 4 Military Generals – it is also a great book about challenges, growth and the potential that we have within us!

 

There are two levels of Interships available.

• INTERN – college age
• INTERN ASSISTANT – high school

Interns or Intern Assistant must:

• graduate from a previous A Backpack Journalist training
• show a skill set: technology focused or subject track
• be 18 years old  – for college age INTERN
• attend high school – for Intern Assistant – parental permission REQUIRED
• be able to travel/fly to destination without a chaperon
• agree to work under the direction of the instructors at the Event
• agree to follow a code of conduct when wearing the A Backpack Journalist uniform
• file AAR – after action reports to the Program Manager following an Event

Event Definition: Sponsored by military related organizations such as Yellow Ribbon, Family Programs or military support organizations with students/attendees to be military youth between the ages of 12-18.  Events may last 1,2,3 or 4 days.  Hours at event may exceed 8 hours daily.  Event locations will vary from state to state, and based on demand.

Intern responsibilities on site:

• Assist with hands on projects and/or the technology applications/presentations for each subject track for the instructor(writing, song writing, photo journalism, mini-documentary – scripting, editorial cartooning).
• Assist the instructor and class attendees by providing technology support  to the students attending the event during the final production process.  (Students provide the finished writing/manuscript/photography/song approved by the instructor and then Intern will assist.)
• KEY – to “cover” the “back” of the instructors and this is defined as follows: make sure that their equipment is watched over, packed up if necessary, and that all important papers are carefully in place.
• Must observe and then communicate directly with the on-site facilitator and teacher all issues once noted:  students having difficulty with assignment, students excelling with assignment or other requests from students.

Examples of  pre-production and production responsibilities range from:

• Setting up meeting room with equipment (includes net books, printers)
• Handing out supplies/checking in students/keeping supplies organized
• Filming the event, instructor presentation.
• For students: preparing a multimedia application, combining writing with song or photos
• Recording a monologue (or shooting film or video – with pocket recorders)
• Posting results onto websites
• Preparing final DVD/Binding of manuscript
• Shooting photos and video of students performing
• Miscellaneous includes:  “go-fetch-it’s” ie – running errands for supplies!

A Backpack Journalist, LLC – Intern Contractor Guidelines & Benefits:

• Daily rate:  $150 while at Event (Intern)
• Daily rate:  $100 while at Event (Intern Assistant)
• Intern Travel day:  50% of Daily rate (i.e. ½ day would be $75)
• Intern Assistant Travel Day:  All attempts are made for assistant to remain local with no over night travel.
• All travel expenses covered, including air fare, hotel, food
• Hotel room is shared, with another Intern, same sex
• Curfew established and respected with each Event
• W-9 must be completed, with social security number
• Cash advance per event:  $50 per day to cover food, all receipts to be turned in
• Expense report filed in and mailed within 5 days of Event.

Application process:

Please copy and paste the below into an email, and answer accordingly:

Send to:  ldennis@abackpackjournalist.com

• Your name/address/age/education (grade)
• Must be 18, but if younger, please include your parent’s contact information
• Please include in your email (3 or more) favorite technology applications that you use regularly.  Example:  audacity, photoshop, Movie Maker, other.
• Do you have any one of the following:  digital camera, laptop, phone, etc.  Tell us what you use daily and have.
• Please indicate if you have an interest in song writing. Do you play an instrument?  Own a musical instrument?
• Do you love photography, take a lot of photos, just collect photos of your friends?
• Do you like to draw,  paint, work with clay, or other arts and crafts projects
• Any special hobbies you’d like to tell us about?
• Any time during the upcoming year, you cannot be available (school start dates,end dates, weddings, vacations already planned that you know of?)
• Have you had deployment in your family?  One, Two, Three, Four times?
• Have you served on any military related youth groups, committees or public service projects?  Please tell us!
• And,  anything you’d like for us to know about yourself?  Your ambitions?  Future dreams?  College?  Journalism future?

Contact information:

A Backpack Journalist, LLC

ldennis@abackpackjournalist.com

404-314-8007 – office line

Example of an Event:

• 3-days: A Backpack Journalist – Youth – Yellow Ribbon Events (Events 5,6)
• Briefing held at Yellow Ribbon Events – 3 days – youth 12-18 – maximum 50 youth
• Staff Size: 9:
• 6 teachers/trainers and 3 Interns. (additional Interns required for class size over 50)
• Hours of training/conferencing: Friday PM. Start time: 5 PM ending at 9 PM
• Saturday: 9 a.m.-5 p.m., 7-10 p.m.
• Sunday : 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Final Review
• Total days – 3
• Total hours – 26 hours
• On site equipment: ONE internet connection & ONE projector
• Room requirement: tables set in conference style (U ), with tablet/easel/markers

Staff:

• Writing Instructor
• Song writing
• Instructor
• Photo Journalism Instructor
• Technology assistant
• Film maker
• Interns (3)
• Facilitator (1) & (2)

Our Current Interns:

Kat Boynton – Texas

Hannah Rauhut – Georgia

Rachel Card – New Jersey

Ashley Childs  -  Texas

Daniel Jones  -  Mississippi

Jeralexia Mitchell – Washington, DC

Jordan Jennings – Georgia

Stacey Sharpe  -  Georgia

TJ Bearden  -  Texas

Rachel Card – New Jersey

Kat Boynton – Texas

Lexie Packwood – Washington, DC

Emarah Cousar – Virginia

Miles Phillips – Ohio

Jessica Herlinger – Kansas

Kiara Jackson – Maryland

Cheyenne Cavazos – Texas

Evan Clark