Shaping understanding of higher education — fellowship opportunity available

Dec 18, 2023

Each ECMC Foundation Fellow in the Higher Education Media Fellowship program will be awarded $10,000 — $5,000 as a stipend and $5,000 towards the reporting project.

Journalists and the media play a critical role in shaping public understanding of the role of higher education in shaping the next generation of citizens; however, the resources needed to produce high-quality reporting on pressing education issues have been declining for years. Higher Ed Media Fellows are journalists interested in diving deeper into underreported issues in higher education.

The Institute for Citizens & Scholars recently announced its Higher Education Media Fellowship program, launching with a symposium on April 22-24, 2024, in in Overland Park, Kansas, for selected fellows. Applications are due by February 15, 2024. Full details follow.

The fellowship currently focuses on issues related to postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE), with topics including data sourcing and analysis, best practices for solutions journalism, and the intersection of postsecondary education and civic learning. The Fellowship is funded by the ECMC Foundation. Funding is awarded every year to early and mid-career journalists completing CTE reporting projects. As part of the program, Fellows will attend a symposium to build their knowledge and further develop their craft.

  • THE CHALLENGE: U.S. newsroom employment has fallen 26% since 2008
  • THE FELLOWS: 62 Fellows from print, online, TV, and radio outlets across the country
  • THE IMPACT: 80+ articles or reports published, elevating public understanding of higher ed issues

“This fellowship program not only sparked new reporting and exploration, but served as a mid-career shot in the arm in terms of professional development and connecting with fellow journalists, as well as with experts in the field.," Adam Bruns, 2021 fellow, said. 

THE AWARD

  • Each ECMC Foundation Fellow in the Higher Education Media Fellowship program will be awarded $10,000 — $5,000 as a stipend and $5,000 towards the reporting project.  
  • The six-month, non-residential program begins with an expense-paid post secondary career and technical education (CTE) symposium on April 22-24, 2024, in Kansas City, Missouri. 
  • Following the symposium, Fellows must complete a reporting project, such as a special report or series.  
  • Fellows will also attend a CTE Collaborative Convening hosted by the ECMC Foundation in the fall. 

FEATURED FELLOWS & PROJECTS 

  • María Méndez, 2021 Fellow, CTE Project: As demand for skilled workers rises in Texas, work-based educational programs see a resurgence
  • Mila Koumpilova, 2021 Fellow, CTE Project: In urban districts, a new embrace of career and technical programs
  • Jon Reed, 2022 Fellow, CTE Project: Stackable education lets Utah students take on job training, degrees ‘one bite at a time’
  • Vicky Diaz-Camacho, 2022 Fellow, CTE Project: Confronting the ‘High School Cliff’: What Young Adults with Disabilities Need to Succeed

BUILDING NETWORKS FOR JOURNALISTS 

The CTE symposium includes dedicated activities for professional and network development. To foster a strong and collaborative community, past Fellows are invited to serve as mentors for the current class. The symposium has been designed to provide a deep and multifaceted fellowship opportunity for participants. This robust experience that will support Fellows’ personal and professional development; give Fellows the opportunity to develop and deepen relationships with one another; bolster their connections to those working in the CTE field; and provide one-on-one mentoring and additional workshops.  

The funding for this program is a part of ECMC Foundation’s CTE Leadership Collaborative, an initiative focused on bringing together diverse perspectives and equipping CTE leaders with the tools, resources, and skills needed to advance postsecondary CTE.

Applications are due by February 15, 2024. Apply here. 

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