Apply for the 2025 Solutions Journalism Student Media Challenge!

Are you a scholar journalist captivated with making a difference? Do you need to report on crucial points affecting your group whereas exploring actual options? The Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) invites scholar information retailers to affix a dynamic cohort for the 2025-26 tutorial yr targeted on reporting scholar psychological well being by a solutions-driven strategy.

This is your probability to collaborate with fellow scholar journalists, achieve mentorship from professionals, and produce impactful tales that transcend simply highlighting issues—your reporting will showcase how communities are responding and making a difference.

Program Details

• Selected U.S.-based scholar information retailers will obtain $7,500
• The cohort will convene in September 2025 and meet month-to-month till May 2026
• Faculty advisors and scholar representatives will meet month-to-month with SJN employees to trace progress and collaborate
• Newsrooms should share insights with different scholar journalists on or off-campus

Program Benefits

• $7,500 grant to assist reporting efforts
• Training in options journalism for scholar newsroom groups
• One-on-one assist from SJN employees
• Informational classes on key journalism subjects
• Community community for idea-sharing and suggestions

What We’re Looking For

SJN welcomes proposals that tackle:

• How communities are tackling points like well being inequities, meals insecurity, and campus assaults
• The impression of the venture on college students in the newsroom, on campus, and in the broader group
• How variety, fairness, and inclusion (DEI) will form protection

Selection Criteria

Applicants should exhibit:

• Commitment to rigorous reporting on youth psychological well being, contemplating social, financial, racial, and environmental elements
• Capacity to provide enterprise tales on vital group points
• Willingness to constantly report by a options lens
• Dedication to serving marginalized communities, together with newsrooms led by and serving individuals of coloration and numerous teams

Note: Previous grantees are ineligible to apply.

Newsroom Requirements

• While there isn’t a set variety of required tales, retailers should usually produce solutions-focused stories
• Outlets should measure their viewers impression by surveys, focus teams, or different instruments (coaching offered by SJN)
• Active engagement in cohort conferences to trade concepts and finest practices
• Designate a crew chief (advisor, employees member, or editor) to satisfy with the cohort lead month-to-month
• Include no less than two extra crew members dedicated to utilizing options journalism in the newsroom
• Propose a group engagement plan (e.g., class visits, blogs, coaching workshops, social media outreach, or collaboration with different scholar media retailers)
• Carry out actions inside 9 months (September 2025 – May 2026)
• Provide the contact particulars of a college officer or newsroom supervisor accountable for administering the grant

How to Apply

This program has a two-step application course of:

1. Submit the initial application by Friday, March 14th, 8 PM ET
2. Shortlisted candidates shall be interviewed earlier than the remaining application stage

Upcoming Info Sessions

SJN will host two on-line informational classes in February:

For questions or to debate venture concepts, contact Michael Davis, Director of Journalism School Partnerships: Michael@solutionsjournalism.org

For technical assist with the application, e mail Kristen Merritt: Kristen@solutionsjournalism.org

To study extra, please go to here.

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