The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University is seeking applicants for a new grant program to encourage collaboration between high school journalism and science classes. The centers intends to award $2,000 grants to three high schools.
Grants for Collaboration between High School Journalism & Environmental Science Courses: Request for Proposals from the Knight Center for Environmental Journalism at Michigan State University
To encourage collaboration between high school journalism and environmental science classes, we invite teachers to submit proposals for innovative class projects in which journalism students will report about field research conducted by themselves or separately by environmental science students. Our principal goals are to:
- help young prospective journalists better understand and explain to the public how science is done.
- help environmental science students learn to use the media to explain their work to the public.
- promote STEM learning, environmental awareness and communication skills among high school students.
Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism intends to award 1-year grants of $2,000 each to up to 3 high schools: $1,000 to the journalism program and $1,000 to the environmental science program for equipment, software or scholarships. There is a possibility of renewal for 1 or 2 more years. In addition, the Knight Center will pair each school with a professional journalist to mentor participating students and teachers
Here are the details:
- Your proposal must include a project description (750 words maximum), the names and contact information for a partnering journalism teacher and an environmental science teacher from the same high school; grade levels of participating classes; and the estimated number of students in the participating classes.
- Your projects must generate student-produced news or feature stories with visuals (photos and/or graphics) for print, online, audio and/or video that your school will disseminate on its own website and through other means, such as student newspapers and broadcast stations. The Knight Center will also disseminate these stories to the public through our website. Some student stories and visual material may be posted on Great Lakes Echo (www.greatlakesecho.org), the center’s award-winning online regional environmental news service.
- Grantees must comply with MSU financial reporting procedures.
Please include this information at the top of your project narrative:
- School name and address
- Name of journalism teacher & contact information
- Name of environmental teacher & contact information
- Title(s) and grade level(s) participating journalism class(es), plus number of students
- Title(s) and grade level(s) of participating environmental science class(es), plus number of students
- Types of student media at your high school
Application deadline: Dec. 1, 2015. Awards will be announced by January 15, 2016.
Projects should begin in February 2016 and be completed with a final report by the end of December 2016.
A progress report is required by June 15, 2016.
Email questions to Eric Freedman, Knight Center director, freedma5@msu.edu.
Email proposals to Barb Miller, Knight administrative assistant, mill3384@msu.edu.