ICFJ Reporting Fellowship on Early Childhood Development 2017

Application Deadline: 6th August, 2017

Eligible Countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania.

About the Award: The International Center for Journalists (ICFJ), in partnership with the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) and Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal, is recruiting for 8 Early Childhood Development Reporting Fellows. The goal of the fellowships is to improve news coverage of child health and form a global network of reporters covering this critically-important issue.

This is the second of three groups of fellows that will be recruited over the next two years. The fellowship term for this second cohort will run from October 2017 – October 2018.

During the year-long program, the fellows will receive virtual training, mentoring and financial support to produce regular stories on nutrition and early-childhood development, relevant to their home countries.

The program will begin with a virtual orientation (webinar) after which each fellow will be assigned a mentor who will work with them as they produce stories on early childhood development issues. ICFJ will conduct regular webinars during the year of the fellowship.

The program also includes two reporting trips. ICFJ will send all fellows to a country that is implementing a successful and innovative approach to supporting childhood development. The fellows will meet with early childhood development experts in the field and will produce stories with the help of their mentors.

ICFJ and its partners are currently working on selecting the dates and destinations for both trips. ICFJ will cover all of the fellowship expenses.

Eligiblility: The Fellowship is open to journalists covering issues of child health and development for news outlets based in Bangladesh, Brazil, India, Kenya, Nigeria and Tanzania. An ideal candidate will have previous experience covering early childhood development issues, but journalists who currently cover health or nutrition-related topics and are interested in increasing their coverage of children’s issues are welcome to apply.

Successful applicants must be employed by a news outlet or have a commitment to publish/broadcast from a news outlet to participate. Applicants must be proficient in English. Stories submitted may be written in your native language; however, reporting project proposals must be submitted in English.

Type: Fellowship

Selection Process: The winners will be selected by an international panel of judges that includes media professionals and representatives from ICFJ and CIFF.

Selection will be based on professional qualifications, relevant experience, previous reporting on childhood development, and demonstrated impact on policy or development issues.

Value of Fellowship:

•  ICFJ will cover all of the fellowship expenses.
• During the year-long program, the fellows will receive virtual training, mentoring and financial support to produce regular stories on nutrition and early-childhood development, relevant to their home countries.
• The program will begin with a virtual orientation (webinar) after which each fellow will be assigned a mentor who will work with them as they produce stories on early childhood development issues. ICFJ will conduct regular webinars during the year of the fellowship.
• The program also includes two reporting trips. ICFJ will send all fellows to a country that is implementing a successful and innovative approach to supporting childhood development. The fellows will meet with early childhood development experts in the field and will produce stories with the help of their mentors.

Duration of Fellowship: October 2017 – October 2018.

How to Apply: Entries must be submitted by 11:59 p.m., U.S. Eastern time, Sunday, August 6, 2017. Apply here. To become a 2017 Fellow, candidates must complete a Fellowship application. Applicants should include
• A resume or CV
• Examples of stories produced on early-childhood development
• A reporting-project proposal that outlines story ideas the Fellow will pursue and a reporting and publishing/broadcasting plan

Visit Fellowship Webpage for details

Award Provider: The International Center for Journalists