The Knight Center for Environmental Journalism has awarded three $3,500 documentary grants to MSU faculty-student teams.
The winning projects were chosen from seven proposals submitted in a campus-wide competition:
- “Teachers as Agents of Change.” The film will document future K-12 teachers’ progression to seeing themselves as change agents in regards to environmental decision-making. Faculty: Jane Rice, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, and Laura Markham, Center for Integrative Studies in General Science. Students: Abigail Barrett and Andrea Rickard, Special Education and Elementary Education
- “Poop to Power.” The film will look at the environmental impacts of animal and human waste and feature an innovative facility in Washington, D.C., that converts human waste into energy. Faculty: Geri Alumit Zeldes, Troy Hale and Mike Castellucci, School of Journalism. Students: Zach Barnes, Ilene Gould, Evan Kutz, Lizzy LaFave and Audrey Matusz, Journalism.
- “Forest of the Worms.” The documentary will highlight vermicomposting as a way to reduce the amount of food waste dumped in landfills each year. Faculty: Laurie Thorp, Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment. Students: John Pynnonen, Civil Engineering; Alex Marx, Environment Studies and Sustainability; and Benjamin Hatley, Mechanical Engineering.
In addition to public dissemination of the projects, the Knight Center will use the documentaries on its website and for presentation in classes, workshops and other center activities.
This is the fourth year of the center’s grant competition.