Students get hands-on experiences at Vincennes University's Broadcasting Summer Camp

With a video camera in his hands, Loogootee High School rising senior Karson Burch is down on one knee on a sultry July morning looking for the perfect camera angles while capturing video of the construction site of Vincennes University’s $33.9 million Center for Health Sciences and Active Learning.

Burch was among the nearly 20 high school and middle school students who participated in the Broadcasting Summer Camp hosted on Friday, July 12, by the Vincennes University Broadcasting Department, Vincennes PBS and Blazer 91.1 WVUB.

"We are so thrilled to bring back our Broadcasting Camp this summer and we worked hard to make this day as fun and educational as possible by sharing our love of media with them,” said Nichole Carie, Director of Operations and General Manager of VU’s public broadcast stations Vincennes PBS and Blazer 91.1 WVUB.

The day was bustling with hands-on experiences on the Vincennes Campus. It provided the perfect opportunity for students to learn about the latest broadcasting technology and interact in VU's first-rate broadcast studios and editing rooms inside Davis Hall. Campers engaged in various activities, including shooting and editing news videos, recording podcasts, creating radio commercials, hosting newscasts and sports broadcasts, and delivering TV weather reports. They also enjoyed lunch in the campus dining center.

Some of the campers had broadcasting experience, while others had none. Burch, a student with prior broadcasting experience, covers the Indiana Pacers on his TikTok sports page. He also utilizes social media to share updates about his high school's sports teams, scores and local high school conference news. Burch is undecided between pursuing a college degree in broadcasting or elementary education, but he is enthusiastic about the opportunity to explore broadcasting further.

“It was fun reading off the teleprompter, the podcast was fun and behind the scenes was very cool,” Burch said. “I didn’t know much about behind the scenes until this camp.”

The day culminated with all campers collaborating on a segment for a Vincennes PBS broadcast later in the day, discussing their favorite aspects of the camp.

Carie is looking forward to building on the Broadcasting Summer Camp’s success.

"We decided to start off with a one-day event to test the interest, and that interest has been amazing,” she said. “We have quickly learned that the students would love more time with us and an expanded opportunity to learn the equipment and best practices, as their media interest has been piqued. They love getting their hands on media equipment and learning what happens behind the scenes. We will be looking to increase our offering next year to multiple days, as well as offering a session for younger elementary students."

To learn more about VU Broadcasting associate degrees, visit HERE. To learn more about VU, visit www.vinu.edu/camps.