Outreach Academy is a Journalism Education Association initiative to promote diversity in the journalism teaching profession and prepare advisers to teach diverse populations.

Outreach Academy is a free, intensive seminar for new media advisers who need help teaching and advising students in journalism while dealing with issues surrounding diversity.
The program is hands-on and focuses on practical information advisers need. It includes discussions of:

• Recruiting and maintaining a diverse staff
• Developing representative content and coverage
• Equitable grading in a production class
• Ethical decision making
• Personal goal setting and resource exploration
• Developing a support network
• Purposeful convention planning

Advisers are eligible to apply for the Outreach Academy if they meet both of the following criteria:

• have five years or fewer advising experience
• teach in schools traditionally under-represented in JEA membership, especially low-income, urban and rural schools, OR are advisers of color.

The Outreach Academy takes place during each National High School Journalism Convention. Outreach Academy cohorts meet virtually before the convention, attend an in-person workshop during the Thursday pre-convention workshop day, and receive benefits for one year following the workshop.