Paid Chicago Teacher Workshop: Inspire Students as Storytellers With Underreported Stories

How can underreported news stories empower student voice and agency? How does exposure to quality journalism help students connect to important local issues, voices, and solutions? How do underreported news stories inspire students as storytellers and community truth-tellers? How does the experience of being a reporter cultivate civic engagement and responsibility?

In this workshop, K-12 educators and administrators supporting Chicago students will explore how underreported news stories empower students to identify and engage with the issues that matter most to their communities. In addition, Chicago-based Teacher Fellow Alumni will lead workshop participants through two unit plans that encourage students to tell their personal and local underreported stories in culminating performance tasks. By the end of this workshop, educators will be able to ….

• Employ media literacy skills to engage students with global and local issues 

• Empower students to act as ambassadors and storytellers for their community with journalism skills

• Use free resources designed by Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellows and staff members to lead student reporting projects in their classrooms

This workshop will be led by Pulitzer Center Education Manager, Jaya Mukherjee, in collaboration with Pulitzer Center Teacher Fellow Alumni, Rivanna Jihan (Simeon Career Academy) and Ray Salazar (Hancock College Prep). Both will be presenting units created through our Teacher Fellowship program. Jihan's unit employs photojournalism to capture underreported local stories and Salazar's unit leverages the podcast medium to amplify youth voices. 

Who is eligible: This opportunity is available to education professionals who support students in Chicago public schools and programs. Eligible participants include classroom teachers, administrators, and content specialists who support Chicago public and public charter schools, out-of-school-time program staff and administrators, and educators who support programming for youth in carceral facilities.

Where: To be determined and will be shared via email with applicants

When: Saturday, May 31st, from 9:30 am to 2:00 pm CST. Lunch will be included.

Stipend: Each participating educator will receive a $50 stipend for attending, engaging, and completing a post-workshop survey.

Deadline: This opportunity will be limited to a select group of up to 20 participants. Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis until Monday, May 19th at 11:59 CST. For any questions, please email [email protected].