The Michigan Interscholastic Press Association hires exceptional educators to teach at our summer workshop as well as current teachers, responsible college students and others to be part of our workshop student life team.
Summer workshop instructors and student life staff members work as independent contractors of MIPA.
MIPA is a nonprofit organization composed of Michigan scholastic journalism teachers and student media advisers and their students. The organization is committed to promoting and recognizing excellence in journalism at all levels through education, training and support of student journalists and their advisers. MIPA is housed in MSU’s School of Journalism.
General Inquiries:
Available positions are posted on this page. General inquiries can be made to:
Jeremy Steele, Executive Director
Michigan Interscholastic Press Association
404 Wilson Road, Room 305
MSU School of Journalism
East Lansing, MI 48824
[email protected]
Youth Program Criminal Background Check
MIPA follows Michigan State University rules requiring all individuals who have direct contact with minors at a campus youth program pass a criminal background check within 12 months of the program. All individuals interested in working for the MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop must successfully complete this check before they will be considered for employment. You may be asked to authorize MIPA and/or MSU to conduct a background check as part of the application process.
Student Life Staff
Our student life team coordinates recreational activities and and provides supervision overnight for youth participants of our residential program. Teachers who work as part of our student life staff may sit in as “silent observers” in any of our workshop classes.
The student life staff at the MIPA Summer Journalism Workshop includes:
- Activity Assistants
- Floor Counselors
If you have any questions, please contact the MIPA office.
Activity Assistants
Activity assistants lead daily recreational activities with our students.
Activity assistants are paid a flat rate of $175 for work during our workshop, which typically runs on a Sunday to Thursday schedule. This position is open to college students. Housing is not provided. Experience working with youth is preferred.
Key work hours may include (but are not limited to):
- 2-5:30 p.m. and 8:30-11 p.m. Sunday: To meet with your supervisor, assist with check-in and run activities during the opening night pizza party
- 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 8:30-11 p.m. Monday and Tuesday: To run organized events and recreation time activities for students
- 3:30-5:30 p.m. and 6:30-11 p.m. Wednesday: To run for organized events, MIPA’s annual Variety Show and other recreation activities.
Activity assistants may also serve as floor counselors.
Floor Counselors
Floor counselors stay in the residence hall with us for the duration of our residential program, from about noon Sunday to 2 p.m. Thursday. They will be assigned a floor or a portion of a floor with another floor counselor. They will work with that person to make sure that things are under control during the evening and night hours and will conduct bed checks.
In exchange for being our extra eyes and ears at night, the workshop will provide floor counselors with a $100 stipend and room and board during the week, starting with pizza Sunday night and going through breakfast on Thursday. Also, floor counselors may be “silent observers” in any of the classes we offer during the week. (Floor counselors auditing a workshop class should be observers – they should leave class discussions to our student participants and should reserve their own questions until after class or when our instructors are not working with students.)
This is a great opportunity for current journalism teachers and college students working to become teachers.
Experience working with youth is preferred. Applicants who are college students should have completed their sophomore year.
Floor counselors may also serve as activity assistants.
To Apply
Please fill out the application below. Include a resume and cover letter explaining why you want to work at our program. List recent work and/or volunteer experience. Provide at least two references. Applications will be reviewed until all positions are filled.