Application

“I learned that our differences connect us more than our similarities. ”

– 2018 Chuck Stone Scholar

Professor Chuck Stone retired from UNC-Chapel Hill on June 30, 2005, after 14 years as the Walter Spearman Professor in the School of Media and Journalism. Before arriving at UNC-Chapel Hill, Professor Stone had a well-established record of promoting equality wherever he worked, whether in Congress, the media, or academia.

The Chuck Stone Program, sponsored by the UNC-Chapel Hill Hussman School of Journalism and Media, the Capitol Broadcasting Company, the Gannett Foundation, and FOX Sports, is seeking applications from high school students who will be seniors in the 2026-2027 school year and who have expressed a career interest in journalism. The program aims to attract students from a broad range of backgrounds, perspectives, and lived experiences. The program includes classroom study, real-world interviewing and reporting, newsroom practice, and professional development. The workshop will consist of multi-platform storytelling and writing. Twelve participants will be chosen.

The 2026 Chuck Stone Summer Program will be held in person on the UNC-Chapel Hill campus from June 21 to 24. The application process will close at midnight on Sunday, March 15th. Apply now!

The application consists of the application form below plus:

A letter of recommendation from a high school journalism adviser or guidance counselor emailed to chuckstoneprogram@unc.edu
Essay (submitted online)
High school transcript also emailed to chuckstoneprogram@unc.edu

The program will pay for the following:

Housing – all students will be housed on UNC’s campus
All meals

Questions? Call 919-389-3486 or email chuckstoneprogram@unc.edu or lfreeman@email.unc.edu.

Upon admission to the program, please notify the directors of any accommodation or dietary needs when submitting completed registration forms.

Essay

Attach an essay describing how your unique background and experiences enable you to contribute meaningfully to our school and community. Consider discussing aspects of your identity that shape your perspective, such as your cultural background, life experiences, beliefs, geographic origins, socioeconomic circumstances, or other defining characteristics. Focus on how these elements of who you are translate into positive contributions to the communities you join. (Limit: 500 words)

Chuck Stone Program

How did you find out about this program?*
Essay File
Max. file size: 5 MB.
Applicant's Signature
Date
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Parent or Guardian's Signature
Date
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Applicant Information
What is the best way to contact you?
- Home Phone
- Mobile Phone
- Personal E-mail
Name
First Middle Last
Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Home Phone
Mobile Phone
Email Address
Secondary Email Address
Gender
Date of Birth
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Place of Birth
Parent/ Guardian Information
Name
First Middle Last
Email Address
Work Phone
Mobile Phone
Parent's (Guardian's) Address if different from yours
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
Emergency Contact Information
Name
First Last
Phone
Email Address
Academic Information
Name of High School
High School Address
Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country
High School Phone
Current Year in High School
Class Rank
Scheduled date of graduation
MM slash DD slash YYYY
GPA
Name of high school publications/ media adviser
Name of high school guidance counselor
Honors/ Awards
Career Goals
Computer Skills
- MS Word
- Adobe InDesign
- Wordpress
- Other
Journalistic Experience
CAPTCHA
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Chuck Stone Program

Applicant Information

Parent/ Guardian Information

Emergency Contact Information

Academic Information