Video shooting. Praying. Editing. Listening. Inspiring. 

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Under the dome of St. Peter’s— this is where the EWTN Summer Academy takes place. 

Students from all over the world gather for ten days of formation and inspiration. They have come to deepen their faith and hone their skills to carry the Eternal Word into the digital age. 

Andreas Thonhauser, VP & Chief Global Officer for EWTN, is the Founder of the EWTN Summer Academy. Thonhauser shared, “The idea of this summer Academy is really to raise the next generation of Catholic journalists. In a world where media can reach millions or even billions of people, it's so important to have highly skilled, highly trained professionals. Who will engage in not only reporting the truth, but also bringing forward the eternal word, which is Jesus Christ.”

What began four years ago in the modest basement of EWTN’s guesthouse in Rome has grown into a global training ground for Catholic communicators. The method is to teach media skills and apply them immediately in the service of the Gospel. 

Alexey Gotovskiy, EWTN Vatican Bureau Lead Producer, spoke to the origins of the Summer Academy, “Five years ago, we were thinking about how we could help young people, young professionals, and also affiliates of EWTN to grow. The Summer Academy is an answer to that idea, because in 10 days of intensive training, participants can not only experience something similar to an internship—but on a much larger scale. Instead of just a few individuals, around 50 people can come here, discover what Rome is, and also experience what it means to work at EWTN Vatican.

Anthony Johnson is the Program Director—who brings together journalism, video production, theological, philosophical lectures, as well as art and history in an intensive program, which also fosters networking and lifelong friendships. 

"We have three basic principles here at the EWTN Summer Academy,” he explained, “theory, practice, and then a mix of theology and philosophy as it pertains to communications, because we can be effective online and creating great work, but we need to have an excellent foundation that's rooted in Christ.” 

Hosted at the International Center for Missionary Animation, the Academy combines formation with daily Holy Mass, confession, adoration, and spiritual direction. 

2025 Participant Amanda Kaplan said, "It’s been wonderful. It’s been very inspiring and the talks have been very informative. Coming from a non-media background, this has been the best place to learn and grow in understanding."

Digital Influencer Randal Williams added, "Learning from real journalists, not just content creators, has been extremely helpful—especially in developing the interviewing mindset for tough conversations.”

The Lebanese twins Charbel and Giovanni Lteif, run the “Eastern Christians” social media platform and reach hundreds of thousand young people. Speaking about the Academy, they shared, "I really loved how we’re all a family. It’s been just a few days, but seeing Catholics from all over the world, all kinds of nationalities and races—it really shows us how beautiful our Church is and how it’s in every part of the world." 

This year also the Holy Father made sure to welcome the participants during the general audience.  

At the end, the Grand Chancellor of the Order of Malta invited the participants to a grand dinner. 

Next year marks the fifth anniversary of the EWTN Summer Academy. The applications for EWTN Summer Academy 2026 are officially opened.

Learn more and Apply for 2026 EWTN Summer Academy

Adapted by Jacob Stein

Produced by Alexey Gotovskiy; Camera by Fabio Gonella, Anthony Johnson, Mateusz Opila; Video Edited by Anthony Johnson; Special thanks & Credits to Centro Animazione Internazionale