ThreeSixty students are reporters. They learn deeply about the connection between journalism, democracy, and community engagement. When young people report news, encounter new perspectives, and bring what they’ve learned to the public, our communities become stronger.
In the process, student wield their power and take their responsibility seriously. ThreeSixty trained reporters abide by the following policies:
Classroom Culture
Our classroom culture promotes engaged learning, fosters creativity, supports collaboration and opens doors for strong writers, storytellers and future newsroom leaders.
- ThreeSixty’s classrooms are brave and safe spaces. We want students to feel comfortable
being vulnerable. They are challenged to share stories that are personal, and we will recognize those moments as brave. Students should feel safe with their peers, mentors,
teachers, etc. to share their story and ask questions. - Collaboration and curiosity are musts. Journalism is a field that requires both collaboration with colleagues and curiosity. We encourage students to ask questions and approach peers, teachers, mentors, volunteers, and guest speakers as collaborators.
- Kindness and respect are required because everyone matters. Everyone who engages with our program will be treated with kindness and respect and know they matter.
- Throw glitter not shade. Learning to give and receive constructive criticism is an important part of being a communicator. Students will learn to not take critiques personally and provide peers with constructive feedback.
- Gratitude is essential. Students will learn to show gratitude towards themselves, their peers, and everyone else along the way. Gratitude can be expressed in multiple ways, such as by showing up on time with consistency, or verbally through affirmations that recognize others.
- Writing and creativity are at the core of all that we do. We will keep you engaged, creating and moving as much as possible during our time together.
- Attendance, engagement and punctuality are key. ThreeSixty students are asked to arrive on time, participate and engage in the classroom. Our program is designed to build professional development skills, and students will understand our expectations.
- Communicate what you need. ThreeSixty students will learn how to communicate what they need to feel supported and why their voice matters. This will help them build confidence and promote their readiness as informed members of society.
- Students will leave confidently knowing ThreeSixty supports their future – in journalism and elsewhere! We write letters of recommendation, serve as references, and connect our alums to opportunities around the country.
Attendance Policy
ThreeSixty programs are paid opportunities. This is a measure to address equity and access: we don’t want students to pick between us and a job or another extracurricular, nor do we want lack of transportation to be a barrier. Students receive stipends upon successful completion of their assignment(s) and for following the attendance policy:
- ThreeSixty programs generally operate from 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. unless stated otherwise.
- Students are strongly encouraged to arrive at least 30 minutes early (e.g., 8:30 a.m.), especially on days with field trips.
- Students are expected to attend and fully participate in all program days and activities.
- Plan accordingly: ThreeSixty provides a student stipend to help offset transportation costs of getting to and from workshops on time. Plan ahead if you know there will be traffic or delays.
- Completing a workshop or camp includes but is not limited to finishing the story assignment(s), active listening during instruction and guest visits, and participating in reflection activities. Some camps involve being on air at a studio or being interviewed – if so, staff will let the student and parent/guardian know beforehand.
- Please ask! If you have concerns or need additional support, staff are more than happy to help and meet you where you are.
- Students will need to limit phone use during class time. If you need to make a phone call or need a social emotional break, you may step out of the classroom.
- The student stipend is contingent on your full participation, completed project(s), and attendance.
- Planned absences: A parent or guardian needs to notify staff ahead of time. This includes if you plan to arrive late or leave early.
- If you are running late due to traffic, you need to notify staff. Staff will call or text you at the number provided if you are not present or we haven’t heard from you.
- Parents and guardians: If your teen hasn’t arrived on campus by 9:30 a.m., we will contact you at the cell number provided during registration.
AI Editorial Policy
In 2026, the Youth Leadership Board established a framework for the ethical integration of generative AI tools within our student newsroom.
At ThreeSixty Journalism, we believe journalism is a human endeavor rooted in community, lived experiences, and accountability. We are committed to show transparency, authenticity, and accountability in all our reporting. We recognize that generative AI can enhance our workflow if used transparently and properly. At the same time, as student journalists, we understand that the use of these tools should not undercut opportunities to learn and grow as writers and storytellers.
This policy applies to all ThreeSixty students. Students are responsible for all written work, social media content, videos, audio, images, and research that is published, and must receive clearance/permission from the program leader to use generative AI tools. Students may not submit work that is wholly-generated by AI and/or lacks human-made editing.
- If a volunteer uses generative AI tools, they should note it and inform program staff.
First, students need to ask their editor (program leader) for content related questions before turning to generative AI tools. Students must have a work plan and draft to show staff before using the tool. The program leader will decide how the student will proceed.
We may not use generative AI to:
- Generate photos
- Edit photos (photos used in news or any published work)
- Enhance our work, such as in order to write a “better” story
- Create deepfakes
- Write stories (including to rewrite sentences)
- Make content decisions
- Conduct research, such as to collect data or find sources
- Fact checking
- As a definitive source
We may use generative AI to:
- Transcribe interviews (with informed consent from the interviewee)
- Brainstorm story ideas, headlines, captions, and interview questions
- Check for AP style and make grammatical edits
- For casual graphic design use, including program-specific AI (e.g., removing backgrounds on Canva)
- Organize/analyze sets of data or information that was personally collected
- Aggregate data (all sources given by AI must be fact checked personally)
If a student wishes to use generative AI used outside these bounds with good reason, they will need to discuss with the program leader.
Any story or content that is produced with generative AI must include an AI use disclaimer to provide transparency to readers:
- “This story was created with the aid of [name of generative AI program] It was used to [name what it was used for]. This decision was made because [describe and explain reasons]. Please refer to ThreeSixty Journalism’s AI editorial policy for more information.”
- Example: “This story was created with the aid of Chat GPT. It was used to enhance the images in the story. This decision was made because the images taken were blurry. Please look at ThreeSixty Journalism’s AI editorial policy for more information.
If a student is found to be using generative AI outside the bounds of this policy, ThreeSixty staff and the student will discuss consequences (including but limited to: stipend deduction; losing opportunity to be published or have story taken down after publishing; student-issued apology; termination from current and future programs).
