Support youth journalists as a volunteer!
Thank you for your interest in volunteering with ThreeSixty this summer!
We are recruiting volunteers for our Multimedia Storytelling Institute in July and the College Essay Workshop in August. Read below for details and sign-up.
Volunteer with ThreeSixty! Multimedia Storytelling Institute 2026
All volunteer shifts begin with a 30 minute orientation and mingling with snacks and coffee.
In the Multimedia Storytelling Institute (MSI), students work in teams of 3 to produce a written, TV, and social media story about a community health issue. This year, stories will be about mental health in our communities.
Thursday, July 9 (12:00 – 2:00 pm): Interview Coach
Volunteers will work directly with student reporting teams to strengthen their interviewing skills and prepare them to conduct effective, ethical source interviews (scheduled for Monday, July 13). Ideal but not required if you sign up to return for a second shift on Wednesday, July 15 (writing day).
- Create and finalize well-researched interview questions
- Conduct mock interviews like a pro and provide guidance on common interview challenges (e.g., redirecting)
Wednesday, July 15 (9:00 – 12:00 pm): Writing Coach
Volunteers will serve as writing coaches, providing hands-on guidance as students finalize their reporting projects. Ideal but not required if you also sign up for Thursday, July 9 (interview prep day).
- Volunteers will be assigned to support with either a 2-column script for TV OR a written story for print/digital.
- Students will need to have a solid, final draft of their story/script for review by the end of the day at 3:00 p.m.
- By this point, students will have completed their reporting and will have a working outline, selected quotes, and relevant background research.
- Volunteers will help students shape their stories by focusing on structure, clarity, accuracy, and storytelling. This includes helping students refine leads and nut graphs, assess the strength and placement of quotes, identify gaps in reporting, and ensure the story reflects the youth perspective at the center of the reporting.
Thursday, July 16 (12:00 – 2:30 pm): Editing Coach
Volunteers will serve as editors and provide final edits on written stories. You will work with the student team’s writer.
- Finalize the print story
- Select photos and write captions
- Fact check
Sign up for the Multimedia Storytelling Institute, here.
Volunteer with ThreeSixty! College Essay Workshop
All volunteer shifts begin with a 30 minute orientation and mingling with snacks and coffee.
In the College Essay Workshop, students will write an original and compelling college essay in four days. ThreeSixty will work with students from picking a meaningful topic to producing a strong, logical story that can stand out to college admissions readers.
Tuesday, August 11 (12:00 – 2:00 pm): Writing Coach
Volunteers will work with 2-3 students on Day 2 of the workshop. Students will have picked their topic and will need support with outlining and organizing their ideas into one logical story.
Thursday, August 13 (9:00 – 12:00 pm): Editing Coach
Volunteers will serve as editors on the last day of the workshop. Students will need support getting their story across the finish line and will likely be 70-90% done. As their coach, you will help make sure their essay clearly communicates their intended argument. Once they are ready, you will also check for structure and provide line edits for grammar, clarity, etc.
Sign up for the College Essay Workshop, here.
Who can volunteer with ThreeSixty?
We are looking for volunteers with interest and experience in writing, storytelling, editing, journalism, multimedia, interviewing, and youth mentoring. Occasionally, we seek volunteers with more specific skills such as political reporting, creative writing, networking and career coaching, and opinion/column writing. We have had volunteers with backgrounds in print media, radio and audio, film, corporate communications, public relations, grant writing, technical writing, and more!
ThreeSixty works with youth from under-represented backgrounds whose communities’ stories have been absented from media. Successful volunteers will be able to work with students from different backgrounds and support them in developing their unique voice. Help us share the word – we are looking specifically to grow our volunteer base with those who are young/early career professionals, from under-represented backgrounds, and working in non-traditional roles within media and journalism.
Training
ThreeSixty volunteer shifts begin with a 30-minute training and mingling with coffee and snacks. We strongly encourage new and old volunteers to attend this half-hour session to meet fellow media professionals & journalists, learn more about ThreeSixty’s culture and learning goals, and receive support on working with our youth storytellers.
Email Associate Director of Operations & Systems Denise Huang with questions about volunteering.
