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 by environmental science students.  Our principal goals are:

• to help young prospective journalists better understand and explain to the public how science is done
• to help environmental science students learn to use the media to explain their work to the public.
• to promote environmental and science journalism

The Knight Center intends to award 1-year competitive grants of $2,000 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 serve as a mentor to 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 and environmental science teacher from the same high school; grade levels of participating classes; and the estimated number of students in the participating classes. A proposal form is attached.
• 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. The Knight Center will also disseminate these stories to the public through our website, and some stories 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.
• Grantees (students, teachers and professional mentors) must attend a one-day workshop at
  MSU in Fall 2018.
• Application deadline: December 1, 2017. Awards will be announced by January 31, 2018.
  Projects should begin in February 2018 and be completed with a final report by the end of
  December 2018. A progress report is required by June 15, 2018.
• Read about the successful 2016-2017 grantees at http://j-school.jrn.msu.edu/kc/2017/03/21/two-high-schools-win-journalism-environmental-science-grants-from-the-knight-center/

Send along a Grant Application Cover Sheet with the following information:

• School name and address
• Participating journalism teacher (name, email, phone)
• Participating environmental science teacher (name, email, phone)
• Project description (750 words maximum): What do you intend to do (scientific research
  and journalistic coverage) and how? What are your goals for the project? How will you
  assess accomplishments?
• Titles and grade levels of participating classes:
  • Journalism:
  • Environmental science
• Name, title, email and phone of administrator authorizing submission of the proposal:

Submit by December 1, 2017, to Barb Miller at mille384@msu.edu

If you have questions, email Eric Freedman at freedma5@msu.edu