Journalism scholarship for high school juniors

High school juniors with a passion for journalism have until Feb. 15 to apply for the annual Al Neuharth Free Spirit Scholarship and Journalism Conference, set for July 9-14 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.

Eligibility is limited to students who are interested in journalism careers and who are high school juniors in the 2010-11 academic year. Online applications and more information are available at http://freespirit.org.

The Al Neuharth Free Spirit program will select, teach, mentor and support 51 outstanding high school students, representing each of the 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to a news release. They will participate in an all-expense-paid journalism training conference at the Freedom Forum's Newseum on Pennsylvania Avenue between the U.S. Capitol and the White House. Those who successfully complete the five-day workshop will be awarded $1,000 scholarships that will be paid to each student's college or university of choice in the fall of 2012.

The conference and scholarships are designed to inspire and encourage students to pursue journalism, to network with one another and to develop lifelong associations, the release states. The conference, hosted by Al Neuharth, includes full access to the Newseum, interaction with media leaders and journalists, hands-on training, tours of Washington's landmarks, plus fun and fellowship.