The Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP) is led by Indigenous mentors, and offers one-on-one feedback from Indigenous writers, journalists, and media producers to student correspondents from across Turtle Island. The program’s founders wanted to build a space where Indigenous students feel comfortable and confident telling stories about their communities and issues that are important to them.
The Indigenous Correspondents Program is housed and supported by Planet Forward in partnership with the University of Arizona through the Arizona Institute for Resilience and the Indigenous Resilience Center. Our partnership centers on platforming the voices of Indigenous students and highlighting the unique perspectives each student brings to their stories.
Stories published through the Indigenous Correspondents Program and Planet Forward help to bring broader awareness to Indigenous communities and concerns, including centering Indigenous ways of knowing, amplifying modern trends across Indian Country, highlighting cultural resilience, and focusing on solutions that uphold communal values and responsibilities.
Now in its second year, the Planet Forward Indigenous Correspondents Program has supported twenty students from 21 Tribes and 14 universities from across the U.S., including both undergraduate and graduate students. The 10-month program includes one-on-one editorial and mentorship support from an Indigenous editor, a series of seven workshops led by primarily Indigenous communication experts and culminates in Indigenous Correspondents receiving a travel grant to attend 2023’s Planet Forward Summit in Washington, D.C., where participants engage in workshops led by global environmental leaders and meet with their cohort. Indigenous Correspondents receive a stipend for their involvement and publish at least one story right here on PlanetForward.org. They also share their work with community members, sustainability experts, professionals, and thought leaders throughout Planet Forward and University of Arizona events and partners.
Dartmouth College | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)
New Mexico State University | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)
Haskell Indian Nations University | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)
University of Minnesota | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)
Sitting Bull College | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)
University of Alaska, Fairbanks | Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP)
Planet Forward Correspondent | Northern Arizona University
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