The 30th High School Journalism Insitute is underway in Corvallis. You can follow along

The 20 students who arrived in Corvallis on Saturday brought a wide range of experience in reporting, writing and photography.

Some have worked for school media. A few have participated in

The Oregonian/OregonLive’s Youth Voices program

. Some don’t have media programs at their school but have dabbled in journalism or photojournalism on their own.

Regardless of the circumstance of their arrival, by early next week they’ll all be published journalists, their work rolling out on OregonLive and perhaps on other regional news sites.

This is the 30th time students have gathered for what’s now known as the High School Journalism Institute. This year’s students represent 19 Oregon and southwest Washington high schools.

The program, presented by The Oregonian/OregonLive and for roughly half its history hosted at Oregon State University, gives student journalists the chance to learn from professionals, then to use their skills reporting news stories in the Corvallis area.

Hundreds of students have now participated in the program. Many have gone on to careers in journalism, including at news organizations in the Pacific Northwest.

The institute is intended to bring new perspectives to newsrooms by removing barriers — whether financial, social or by lack of opportunity — to pursuing a career in journalism. It’s offered free of charge, and students will receive a college credit for completing the program.

The institute benefits from the support of news outlets across the state. Oregon Public Broadcasting has helped staff the program for several years. The News-Register of McMinnville provides printing services at a generous discount. A contribution from the Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association supplements major funding from the Samuel I. Newhouse Foundation.

Oregon journalists have rallied around this program because they believe these students represent a bright future for journalism in the region. By the end of the week, I’m confident the students will have proved them right.

Both student and professional journalists will be writing about their experiences at

OregonLive.com/HSJI

. You can follow along all week. Then, starting Sunday, July 20, read their stories on OregonLive.

Elliot Njus

is The Oregonian/OregonLive’s senior managing producer for newsroom development and director of the High School Journalism Institute.

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