IJNR is a long-time Joyce grantee that has provided training for journalists about critical issues affecting the Great Lakes. With renewed Joyce funding, IJNR will focus on the protection of watersheds — the area of land that drains into a particular water body. It will conduct two expedition-style learning programs designed to prepare 30 journalists to cover the restoration and management of watersheds in the Great Lakes region.

One of the programs will explore the Milwaukee River watershed in southeastern Wisconsin, and the other will examine the Maumee River watershed in northwestern Ohio—two watersheds the Foundation has invested in through separate grants. IJNR will supplement the training programs with a year of individual coaching and mentoring for the alumni.

“Journalists will benefit from direct, intense encounters with informative places, people, and organizations over a period of three to four days,” said Frank Allen, IJNR executive director. He adds: “This 15-month project will include a rigorous evaluation process that could lead to a new strategic direction for IJNR.”

As part of the training experience, journalists will participate in discussions with environmental experts and sessions on the craft of journalism, including taking advantage of digital media.

With past funding from Joyce, IJNR developed the Great Waters Institutes, which spent two years exploring the specific challenges and opportunities facing each of the Great Lakes and communicating that information to the public. This series of in-depth Institutes has trained more than 125 journalists about environmental issues in the Great Lakes region over the last 10 years.

More information on Joyce’s Environment Program.