Campus Solutions programme opens for student journalists in West Africa

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DEADLINE: APRIL 8, 2022— The Campus Solutions project is set to mobilise and support student journalists to produce stories about the positive deviants in the education sector in West African countries.

Fifteen (15) campus journalists will be engaged under this project for six months to document, through storytelling, social responses to problems bedevilling the education system in West Africa and other related issues with evidence. They will also share insights into how the responses are positively affecting the problems in spite of the limitations and/or challenges.

These campus writers/journalists and journalism/communication students will equally be trained in the art of solutions writing and reporting.

The participants will be tasked to set up and/or facilitate the establishment of solutions journalism (SoJo) units in their respective campus press outfits. These units will be supported with periodic trainings, SoJo resources and opportunities for further expansion where necessary.

The deadline for application is 5 pm (WAT) on Friday, April 8, 2022. No late application will be allowed.

BENEFITS/COMMITMENTS

• Selected participants will be decorated as Campus Solutions Ambassadors and will be trained in the art of solutions reporting by SoJo reporters/trainers/experts from across Africa.

• Each Campus Solutions Ambassador will get a $100 grant to pursue a long-form solutions story.

• They will commit to establishing solutions journalism units in their respective campus press outfits.

• Their works will be cross-published by their respective campus press platforms and the Campus Solutions section on the I-79 Media Consults website.

• Campus Solutions Ambassadors’ works will be featured on Campus Echoes - a periodic newsletter on solutions reporting of the West African education landscape.

• Their works stand a chance to be considered on the SJN Story Tracker with over 10,000 solutions stories globally and more.

• They will have access to a growing network of solutions journalists and mentors in Africa and globally.

REQUIREMENTS

• Must be a current student of any tertiary institution in West Africa.

• Must be conversant with events, happenings within and outside the campus community.

• Must have affiliation with a campus press outfit or show plans of publication in the immediate campus environment.

• Must submit two weblinks/evidence of previously published works.

• A short bio

• Two solutions story pitches about social responses to challenges facing your school, its environs and/or your country’s education system.

• A letter of introduction from your editor/campus press platform.

HOW TO APPLY

Fill out this Google Form on/before 5 pm (WAT) on Friday, April 8, 2022.

STORY PITCH FORMAT

• Title

• Background

• Problem

• Responses

• Evidence

• Insights

• What’s new?

• Challenges

NB: We encourage and accept applications from minority and underserved communities.

For enquiries and questions, reach out via i79mediaconsults@gmail.com.