A staff retreat in the summer can set the tone for the year. Today we offer tips for activities your staff can use during their boot camp.

1. Set your standing elements for the year in all media
2. develop staff job descriptions
3. edit your staff manual
4. create templates for print publications
5. develop a style guide for your media
6. take personality profile tests to determine compatability on sdtaff
7. design staff t-shirt
8. plan deadlines for all media
9. decide fun team work night themes
10. design a back to school sales campaign for your yearbook
11. create a presentation for your faculty
12. teach staff members how to use your cameras
13. teach how to use Photoshop
14. teach basics of design
15. teach basics of using InDesign
16. practice for a quiz bowl competition
17. list contests you’d like to enter
18. read over critiques from the previous year and use them to improve the following year
19. set short term and long term goals for your entire staff
20. set short term and long term individual goals
21. create and plan for and decorate your room
22. participate in multiple team-building activities
23. cover a summer activity at your school together like band camp or football practices
24. bring in elementary or middle school students for an open house and show them how to use the camera
25. invite professional journalists to speak to your staff
26. develop session on how to find stories
27. session on how to identify and interview sources
28. session on how to compuse a well-structured news, feature or opinion piece
29. session on how to write breaking news
30. create protocol for reporting on emergency situations in real time
31. session on how to navigate ethics of reporting
32. take a trip to a local professional media outlet or college media newsroom and see how they function
33. session on creating a multimedia story for a website
34. session on creating a journalism portfolio
35. editors session on being a mentor
36. role playing scenarios between mentors and mentees
37. session on selling ads
38. session on designing ads
39. session of designing an ad for a sales pitch
40. role playing scenarios for ad sales
41. press conference with the principal
42. brainstorming a list of secondary coverage ideas and designing potential templates for these
43. sidewalk chalk welcome back to school sales promo for yearbook
44. Playdoh sculptures of staff
45. tie dye t-shirts together
46. Field trip to Barnes and Noble or other bookstores to get design inspiration from magazine
47. session on coaching other students reporters
48. list evergreen story ideas for your school community
49. decide your color palette for your publications
50. develop your yearbook theme
51. session(s) on AP style
52. AP style rules jeopardy or Kahoot
53. Bean boozled game
54. Pie in the Face Game
55. Color powder wars on white t-shirts – make this a time to practice photography
56. water balloon fight
57. relay races like sack races
58. tug of war
59. olympics between different staffs at your school
60. t-shirt signing day
61. design your yearbook cover together or individually and then vote on favorite
62. make staff bracelets
63. cook a meal together and serve summer school staff
64. leadership team pool party
65. Develop a pitch for adding honors journalism to your curriculum and present to admin/school board
66. Develop a plan for beginning a Parents of Publication Students (POPS) booster group
67. Plan a back-to-school night table
68. Plan a donations only bake sale for back-to-school night
69. Create a recruitment plan for working with middle/elementary schools throughout the year
70. Develop a middle/elementary school journalism workshop to do during the year
71. Choose leadership books for editorial team to read/discuss during the year
72. Develop a patron ad sales program
73. Contact media staff alumni for donations to your program
74. Develop a plan to begin a journalism scholarship for seniors in your program
75. Conduct a diversity audit of your coverage at your school and design a plan to improve your coverage diversity
76. Create an A-Z list of what your staff will need to do to complete and publish a story
77. Work with your adviser to develop a fair and balanced/unique grading system for your staff
78. Create a wish list of items you would like to have in your classroom and set an earning goal to purchase these items
79. Develop one or more staff community service projects for your school/community
80. Organize a trip to a local/state/regional/national workshop or convention for your staff
81. Host a staff wedding and reception for your staff
82. Develop a staff PLC and pair with a sister school in another state to do some activities
83. Learn how to create an agenda for an editorial board meeting
84. Plan holiday gatherings for your staff like caroling, Valentine’s party, fall bonfire
85. Assign students lessons to teach to the staff during their class times
86. Develop your staff’s mission statement
87. Create a flow chart for leadership on your staff
88. Get creative with your boot camp meals – maybe have parents prepare? Or compete for best theme in student teams?
89. Session on how to post on your website
90. Create a deadline calendar for all your deadlines for the entire year
91. Develop a session on how to post great social media posts
92. Create training videos for first year staff members
93. Write staff bios and practice taking environmental portraits for your website
94. Look at other student websites for inspiration
95. Develop a photo organization plan
96. Develop your communication strategies for your team – GroupMe, Group texts, whatever you are permitted to use
97. Organize an admin meet and greet breakfast
98. Develop a staff beat system
99. Create/design a staff thank you card
100. Write thank yous to people who have helped you in your journalism career to this point