JAWS CAMP 2018, Training and Mentorship

CAMP 2018: Fellowship application process to open April 13

Posted on by JAWS Communications

Journalism and Women Symposium (JAWS) will begin accepting applications for 2018 fellowships beginning Friday, April 13.

Each year JAWS brings fellows to our annual Conference and Mentoring Project (CAMP) for three days of training, networking and professional development.

The annual JAWS conference and retreat focuses on strengthening core journalism skills, building personal brands and careers, developing strategies for success in our evolving media landscape, improving gender parity in our profession, empowering women in leadership and management and encouraging a more accurate portrayal of the whole society.

Participants enjoy a dynamic weekend filled with inspiring speakers, motivating career development sessions and rewarding networking and mentoring opportunities. It’s an experience that has helped launch countless careers, and it’s also ignited lifelong friendships.

This year there are five types of fellowships available to 14 women with a stipend that covers registration, travel and lodging expenses related to CAMP. This year’s conference and retreat will be held at The Mount Hood Oregon Resort in Welches, Oregon Oct. 12 to 14, 2018.

The fellowship application period will run from April 13 through May 18, 2018.

Interested? Watch past fellows talk about the program in our webinar.

Webinar: The JAWS Fellow Experience from Journalism and Women Symposium on Vimeo.

The following fellowships will be available this year:

The Emerging Journalist Fellowship

Each year JAWS selects 10 women who are just starting careers in journalism. We are looking for journalists with at least one but no more than five years of professional journalism experience. Winners are selected based on a combination of merit, financial need and their potential contribution to JAWS as an organization that supports diversity across race, ethnicity, age, sexual orientation, media platform, beat and location.

The Diversity Fellowship

The Journalism and Women Symposium each year selects one journalist from a community traditionally underrepresented in the media, and whose work supports diversity. The goal of the Diversity Fellowship is to help the practice of journalism better reflect society. This is an opportunity for journalists who are traditionally underrepresented in newsrooms, including but not limited to women of color, journalists in the LGBTQ community and those with disabilities. Applicants should have at least three years of experience.

The Betsy Wade Legacy Fund Fellowship

The Betsy Wade Legacy Fund Fellowship supports a working newswoman of color with at least three years of experience whose work reflects the value of journalism in safeguarding a democratic society.

The Entrepreneurial Fellowship

The goal of the Entrepreneurial Fellowship is to help a woman journalist move forward with an innovative journalism project. Applicants should have a well-conceived project, the background that shows they can do it, and at least three years of professional experience. Preference will be given to current JAWS members.

The Next Step Fellowship

Applicants should be at a career point where they want to shift gears and find new opportunities. They should have a substantive record of at least 15 cumulative years working as a journalist. Preference will be given to JAWS members.

All fellows will be asked to:

    • Participate in our summer crowdfunding campaign to raise funds to send next year’s fellows to CAMP (This does not apply to the Betsy Wade Legacy Fund fellow).
    • Summarize CAMP sessions and events (via written blog posts, audio segments or video segments, whatever the fellow is most comfortable with) during CAMP for the JAWS website to help JAWS members who could not attend benefit from the sessions.
    • Participate in the creation of JAWS promotional materials, which includes having your photograph taken and/or being interviewed for print and video.

To apply, go to https://jaws.org/category/fellowships on April 13. Applications will close May 18.

Most applications will require:

  • A one-page resumé
  • Two samples of your professional, published work in journalism in English (links or documents)
  • A word document with brief descriptions of your submitted samples
  • One letter of recommendation from a current or previous editor, producer or supervisor in journalism.
  • A personal statement (that is specific to each fellowship and will be outlined in the application)

Generally, fellows will be judged on a combination of merit and financial need, potential contribution to JAWS, commitment to the field and personal alignment with JAWS’ mission.

JAWS fellowships are not open to undergraduate students. They are open to international journalists, but the stipend only covers domestic travel.

Professional journalism experience includes up to one full year of campus news publication/broadcast experience, paid and unpaid internship experience, as well as contract, freelance, part-time and full-time work. Writing for a cause-affiliated organization will be considered advocacy, not journalism.

If you have any questions about the fellowship or the application process, please contact Nikki Raz at . For more info and updates about this year’s CAMP in Welches, Oregon, visit the JAWS CAMP website at https://jaws.org/camp-2018.

JAWS Communications