Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
Free Five-Day Summer Program for One High School Junior From Each State and Washington, D.C.
A skill-building, network-growing, life-changing experience that can give you a head start on your future.
Find your future: June 21-26, 2026, in Washington, D.C.!
Applications for the 2026 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference are no longer being accepted. Information about the 2027 conference will be posted in October. Contact us at [email protected] if you would like to be notified.
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference is an engaging, in-depth, five-day summer program for 51 high school juniors (one from each state and the District of Columbia) who “Dream. Dare. Do.”
Whether you’re interested in journalism or multimedia storytelling, this program is for you!
Be the one to represent your state and join students from around the country at an exclusive, free Washington, D.C., journalism experience like no other.
The Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference
Get insider access to Washington, D.C., newsrooms, connect with other high school juniors from across the U.S. who share your passion, meet some of the nation’s top journalists and multimedia storytellers and explore our capital city.
Conference benefits for 51 selected students:
- Advice from leading journalists and media professionals, including news influencers and digital entrepreneurs
- A $1,000 college scholarship
- A free five-day trip to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., June 21-26, 2026, with hotel, airfare and meal expenses covered.
- Lifelong connections to 50 fellow students from across the country and professionals who share your passions
- Ongoing support from a community of alumni who work at organizations including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Apple, ABC News, NBC’s “Today Show”, USA TODAY, and start-ups such as the digital news site The Juggernaut.
“The 2024 Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference was the most incredible week of my life. It perfectly combined learning from industry professionals with socializing with like-minded student journalists from all across the country.”
Michael Faherty, 2024 Free Spirit Scholar, Connecticut
Your D.C. experience includes:
- Networking with alumni journalists and digital entrepreneurs at the Free Spirit alumni and 2026 class dinner.
- Connecting with thought leaders, influencers, policymakers and journalists at the Free Expression Awards ceremony honoring champions of the First Amendment.
- Behind-the-scenes tours of D.C. newsrooms. Past visits have included The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, Fox News and C-SPAN.
- Class commencement ceremony
- Tours of city sites such as the memorials and monuments at night, Capitol Hill, Smithsonian museums, and a Potomac River dinner cruise.
- Conference panels and on-site newsroom visits covering such topics as:
- The future of journalism
- Media ethics
- Photojournalism
- Covering politics
- Understanding the First Amendment
- Journalism and multimedia storytelling careers
- Investigative reporting
- Free Spirit alumni career pathways
Freedom Forum partners with Close Up Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan civic organization that has hosted student programs in Washington, D.C., since 1971 to ensure Free Spirit Scholars have the most comprehensive, experienced care, while participating in the conference.
How to apply
To apply for the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference, complete the online application form and upload the required materials. ALL application materials must be uploaded in the online application.
All supplemental application materials (transcripts, essays, samples, etc.) must be uploaded directly to your online application, preferably as PDFs. Word documents are also permissible. Do not send Google Docs links.
All applicants will be notified by mid-May 2026 if they have been selected for the program.
Freedom Forum makes all determinations without regard to race, color, gender, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or any other protected classification.
“I would highly encourage anyone who is interested in journalism to apply to the Free Spirit Conference. It helped me expand my sense of the world and just grew my love for journalism.”
Amy Nakamura, The Washington Post social media editor, 2016 Free Spirit Scholar, Hawaii
About the Conference
Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, the annual conference, established to honor Al Neuharth, founder of Freedom Forum and USA TODAY, is designed to inspire and encourage high school juniors to pursue careers in journalism, multimedia storytelling and the media industry.
Many alumni have gone on to work for organizations including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, ESPN, the “This American Life” podcast, entrepreneurial media outlets like The Juggernaut, network-affiliated television news stations and more.
Some Scholars have gone on to attend schools with leading journalism programs, such as Northwestern University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Maryland and Stanford University.
The motto of the conference is “Dream. Dare. Do.” These words guide Free Spirit Scholars every day.
Al Neuharth in his own words
From Al Neuharth, founder of the Freedom Forum, USA TODAY and the Al Neuharth Free Spirit and Journalism Conference:
“Free press, free speech and free spirit.
The first two are easy to grasp:
Free Press: The freedom to print or broadcast without censorship.
Free Speech: The freedom to speak without compromise.
Free Spirit is harder to define.
Free spirits dream, dare and do. A free spirit can also be a risk-taker, a visionary, an innovative leader, an entrepreneur or a courageous achiever who accomplishes great things beyond his or her normal circumstances.”
“It was the experience of a lifetime and has supported me in pursuing my dreams of becoming a journalist!”
Meghan K. Whitten, 2025 Free Spirit Scholar, Oregon
