STRENGTHENING EDUCATION REPORTING

Grant: Strengthening Education Reporting
Agency: Corporation for Public Broadcasting
Deadline: This competition is closed. The deadline was November 13, 2012.

Description: The Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is looking to support public radio stations and national producers in the creation of content that aligns with the American Graduate: Let’s Make It Happen initiative. Projects should produce high-quality, on-going coverage of education issues, including coverage of the country’s high school dropout crisis. The coverage must include radio broadcast components and should include innovative uses of online, mobile and social media. Additionally, the content should represent and reflect the diverse perspectives on education, including the voices of teachers and young people who are most directly affected.  

Projects must clearly demonstrate the station’s ability to:

• Build public media capacity for original education reporting.
• Increase citizen understanding of education challenges and solutions and encourage community dialogue.
• Position public media as a primary source of trusted and reliable information on topics critical to local communities, particularly in education related topics.

Examples of acceptable projects include the creation of special series, documentaries, features, interviews, call-in programs and accompanying digital content (text, photos, blogs, slideshows, videos, maps, interactive elements). Proposals must include community engagement strategies, which may be implemented through digital and social media as well as in-person meetings. Producers may address education and dropout issues from a variety of angles, including impact on the local and national economy, classroom curriculum, government policies and others.

Funds may be used to pay for up to 50 percent of the salary and benefits of a dedicated journalist who will cover education issues for at least one, and up to two years. More details on what is considered an acceptable project under this program are found in the program notice.

CPB plans to host a conference call for all stations interested in applying to the program in mid-October. Following the call, CPB will provide a detailed Frequently Asked Questions resource on the program based on the feedback received on the call. Stay tuned to the Grant Center for more details.

Fit for Public Broadcasting: Officially announced by CPB at the Public Media Development and Marketing Conference (PMDMC) in July 2012, this grant program is created specifically for public radio stations and national radio content producers. Public radio’s capacity to create in-depth reports on dropout and other topics can raise awareness of important issues and help communities and the nation better understand and address the challenges of providing education in a diverse society where technology and resources are not evenly distributed. Radio stations actively engaged in the American Graduate initiative are especially encouraged to apply.

Eligibility: CPB qualified radio stations and national radio content producers are eligible to apply.

Anticipating Funding: CPB anticipates awarding up to $1 million in grants to support stations and national producers in providing this type of coverage.

How to Apply: Proposal requirements can be found in the program notice. All proposals are required to include a summary paragraph, project narrative, budget and supporting documents. Completed proposals should be sent in Microsoft Word or PDF format to Kathy Merritt (kmerritt@cpb.org) by 5:00 pm ET on November 12, 2012.

Resources:
Program notice
Program website
Grant Center's American Graduate Resource Webpage
CPB's American Graduate Resource Webpage