Spring 2025
Advocacy Journalism
Leverage creativity and interest in world events, storytelling, and media technology to help shape society. You’ll learn how journalists pitch stories, interview subjects, write news articles and maintain high ethical standards. Great for mentees who would like to be journalists.
Learning Objectives
Apply Here
Deadline: January 15, 2025
As a mentee or mentor in the Advocacy Journalism Journey, you’ll have access to an online course designed to help you learn about the impact of journalism on social justice. You’ll be paired with a mentee or mentor for one full cycle, and you’ll meet with them at least twice each month. You’ll attend at least one community engagement experience a month.
- Cycle(s) Spring 2025
- Time 3 hours per month
- Areas of Focus Journalism, Activism, Career Development, Media, Nonfiction
- Available Spots Per Cycle 20
Advocacy Journalism Courses
Unveiling Perspectives: Objectivity in the Modern Newsroom
Discover how editorial decisions impact the breadth and inclusivity of news content through selected segments from Breaking the News, a PBS Independent Lens documentary. The film explores the initial stages of nonprofit news venture The 19th*, highlighting its efforts to establish a diverse newsroom and cover significant national events.
Advocacy Journalism Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in the Advocacy Journalism Journey will be matched for one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two hour-long sessions each month.
Advocacy Journalism Community Experiences
Mentees and mentors in the Advocacy Journalism Journey must attend at least one Community Experience per month. It is strongly recommended that you attend the following Advocacy Journalism Journey meetings:
- March 15, 1-2 pm ET
- April 17, 4:30 – 6 pm ET
- May 3, 2025: 3-4 pm ET
Journalism 360, Multimedia 360, and Public Policy 360 Adventures
Advocacy Journalism is a Journey in the Journalism 360, Multimedia, and Public Policy Adventures.
Journeys in the Journalism 360 Adventure focus on building skills to investigate, analyze, and write about world events. It is recommended for mentees and mentors who want to embrace journalistic integrity.
Journeys in the Multimedia 360 Adventure focus on creating in particular medium. It is designed for mentees and mentors who want to express ideas with digital and audio techniques.
Journeys in the Public Policy 360 Adventure focus on the ways that writing and creating can impact public policy. It is designed for those who want to learn more about how to make change in technology, reproductive health, climate change and more.
Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.
Find Your Journey
Find Your Journey
Writing Our Way to Wellness: A Podcast Journey, Pt. II (Summer 2026)
Journey Teaching Artist
Stories of Becoming: Crafting Young Adult Romance (Summer 2026)
This Journey invites participants to dive into the world of young adult romance, exploring the joys, challenges, and complexities of love in adolescence and young adulthood. Through creative writing exercises, character development, and plot crafting, mentees will learn how to create authentic, relatable stories that resonate with YA readers. Participants will explore themes of identity, friendship, and emotional growth while honing their craft in storytelling that captures the heart and imagination.
Explore Tour (Spring 2026)
Explore all of the creative and storytelling pathways Girls Write Now has to offer through a multimedia, multi-genre experience that includes mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-to-one pair sessions. Discover new skills and build on existing ones with offerings that range from fiction to journalism to publishing, and dive into formats like video, podcasting, visual storytelling, and more.
Independent Study (Spring 2026)
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Journalism: The Art of Profiles (Spring 2026)
Every person has a story to tell, and profile writing is an invitation to share those stories with the world. In this journey, mentors and mentees explore how to establish trust and rapport with their subjects, conduct interviews with mutual respect, and present a friendly, welcoming demeanor while maintaining the role as the writer—not a friend or confidante. Unlike traditional approaches that focus solely on extracting details for the reader, this course emphasizes a holistic perspective that honors the reader, the writer, and the subject. Participants will practice structuring interviews, managing the flow of conversation, knowing when to push back against the profile subject, and using their own experiences as a guide to create compelling, thoughtful profiles.
Poetry Rising: Voices from Latin America (Spring 2026)
Explore the voices representing Latin America in their poetry! Mentors and mentees will read poems that reflect on love, identity, and social change. Alongside reading, mentees will write their own poems inspired by these works, experimenting with rhythm, imagery, and voice. Through discussion and creative practice, you’ll discover how poetry can express both personal and collective experience!
Writing Our Way to Wellness: Podcast Production (Spring 2026)
This Journey invites mentors and mentees to explore the intersection of storytelling and wellness through the art of podcasting. Participants will engage in intergenerational, holistic conversations that honor both the craft of writing and the power of human connection. They will explore what wellness means to them personally and as a practice, and learn to structure episodes that educate, inspire, and resonate. Mentors and mentees will also build practical skills in shaping and producing a polished podcast episode. By the end of this two-cycle journey, each participant will have a published episode on the Writing Our Way to Wellness podcast streaming on all platforms!
Perspectives on Editorial (Spring 2026)
Embrace editing as an essential aspect of writing in this journey that leads you through lessons and experiences that explore everything from line edits and grammar to the psychology of revision. Great for individuals who are interested in honing their skills for editing their own creative work (and the work of others!)
The Power of Punchlines: Stand-Up Comedy for Change (Spring 2026)
In this Journey, mentors and mentees will explore the power of comedy as a tool for social change, with a special focus on stand-up comedy. From climate change and economic inequality to LGBTQ+ rights, racial justice, and mental health, participants learn how to write and perform material that blends humor with meaningful social critique. Through workshops and performance coaching, mentors and mentees will develop their own comedic voice. Discover how satire and personal storytelling can raise awareness, inspire dialogue, and challenge the status quo— all while keeping your audience laughing. By the end of the journey, you’ll have developed a 5 -10-minute stand-up routine that not only entertains but sparks meaningful conversations about the world around us. Comedy is a form of intelligence, whether you’re new to comedy or a seasoned performer, this journey will help you use humor as a force for social impact.
Teach GWN (Spring 2026)
In this Journey, members of the GWN community will develop curriculum and facilitate a community studio for one or more cycles within GWN’s Collaboratory structure. Each Cycle involves facilitating three community studios, one per month. Participants will gain valuable skills in leadership, teaching, and community building. Mentors and mentees can facilitate a community studio either solo (if they are 18 or older) or together as a pair.
