Led by University of Miami School of Communication lecturer and former Miami Herald reporter Yves Colon, the workshop teaches reporting skills, writing and editing for print, television and the web, and in the end the students produce Miami Montage, a tabloid-size newspaper, a corresponding website and multimedia news stories.

“We picked this topic [U.S. and Cuba relations] because of the recent changes in the relationship between the two countries since the election of President Barack Obama, knowing there would be a deep impact on South Florida. We thought there was no other place more suited to explore this fascinating subject. We’re looking forward to the stories our students will be reporting,” said Colon.

The students, who will reside in the dormitories on the University of Miami campus, come from high schools all over South Florida including Miami Beach Senior High, John I. Leonard High School and West Boca Raton High School.

In addition to general support for the workshop, James Ansin, vice president and station manager for WSVN – Channel 7 and Peace Sullivan, a philanthropist and a retired journalist and psychoanalyst, have provided funding for a half-tuition, four-year scholarship for one graduate of the summer program to continue his or her studies in the UM School of Communication. Additional support for the workshop is provided by the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund, the St. Petersburg Times, and the University of Miami.

“Students attending this workshop report and write about important matters. It’s a chance for the community to hear about issues but from a student’s perspective. The workshop has come a long way from my tenure when I wrote about Gloria Estefan and the sound machine, left and waited for someone else to lay the story out.” said Miami Herald Caribbean Correspondent Jacqueline Charles, a workshop alumna. Charles, who attended the workshop over 20 years ago, interned at The New York Times and The Detroit Free Press before starting her professional career at The Miami Herald in 1994. “Today [the students] are not only tackling hard-hitting subjects but students are getting a real first-hand look at how journalism works. That’s what makes this program unique,” added Charles, who returns to help with the workshop every year.

For more information about the Peace Sullivan/James Ansin High School Workshop in Journalism and New Media, contact Yves Colon at 305-284-3752/ or visit: http://com.miami.edu/workshop/

Press inquiries, contact Melissa Rubi Falcón at .