Students will travel to Tokyo during the 2020 Olympic Games and will learn how to produce high quality work in multimedia production and journalism.

Students need to be willing to return early from the winter holiday break in early January 2020 for a Queens in Tokyo training camp focused on technology, teaming, and key techniques. The two-day camp enables one additional credit hour in the JBIP course, completed before the official beginning of the semester on Jan. 6, 2020.

During the spring semester, students will learn about the Olympic movement, sports properties, and multimedia story production. which will shed light on the management and leadership skills needed to be successful in the fast-paced world of sports communication. They will collaborate virtually with students in Japan to further enhance their understanding of the course in a cross-cultural context.

Traveling abroad in July/August 2020, students will be in the field along with Japanese teammates producing real stories of the goings-on in the city for the Games. Working in groups, students will explore the city, looking for leads to interesting stories. Student groups will interview people connected to the Olympics and the Charlotte region, record the interviews on film, and edit the stories with the hopes of having some picked up by television network affiliates.*

This course may be most appropriate for students interested in sports communication, media production, storytelling, the fast-paced and busy process of documenting events at the Olympics, and those who are comfortable traveling through a big city in a small group. Although all students can apply, applications will be looked favorably upon if the student has completed one or more classes in the following areas: Sports Communication, Sports Publicity and Promotion, Advanced Digital Media Production, and Reporting

As part of the application process, students must upload a resume and/or portfolio that demonstrates their preparation for the program and will interview with the faculty directors. The portfolio could include stories, projects, research, papers, multimedia development, and/or proposals for projects you would like to explore in Tokyo.

This course will work alongside BUS 398-399/KIN 398-399 who are also traveling to Tokyo. Some topics will overlap so students will be exposed to fundamental business knowledge in relation to the Olympic Games.

The academic course associated with this program is COM 398 and 399: Queens in Tokyo- Sports Communication & Production for 5 total credits. Students will receive COM credit. It will be taught by Professors Bob Page and Joe Cornelius.

This is a SELECTIVE program.
*all itinerary items are tentative and subject to change