DEADLINE: Ilíiaitchik — Indigenous Correspondents Program

Planet Forward, an environmental storytelling initiative of the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, collaborates with the University of Arizona’s AIR Education Initiatives and the Indigenous Resilience Center (IRes) as well as the Native FEWS Alliance to support greater participation by Indigenous students in this program that centers their voices and brings broader perspectives to the successful Planet Forward platform.

The Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP) supports 10-12 Indigenous students through a year-long professional development, communication skill-building, and community-building program led by Indigenous mentors in fields ranging from environmental journalism and science, to photography and music production. Students with an interest in environmental science-related fields, finding and sharing resilient, innovative solutions, and effective storytelling in media spaces are encouraged to apply to become part of the 2024-25 Indigenous Correspondents Program cohort.

The long-term goals of the Indigenous Correspondents Program are to increase participation in Earth and environmental science communication and related fields among Indigenous students and to increase the quality and quantity of Indigenous stories in media across the US.

Indigenous Correspondents Program participants periodically meet with fellow cohort members (~10-12 students), Indigenous activists, journalists, storytellers (i.e. journalists, musicians, photographers, etc.), and scientists to advance their storytelling and communication skills while building their professional and community networks. Participants also receive one-on-one mentorship and guidance in creating and publishing a final environmental communication piece (e.g., essay/article, multimedia story, podcast, short video, etc.) through meeting one-on-one with an Indigenous Editor/ Story Mentor and/or peer review sessions. Participants will also receive a Certificate of Completion for their involvement in the program and a $1,000 stipend for their participation.

Applications are due July 26, 2024.

Details and application.