Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
Investigative Podcasts
In this journey, you’ll collaborate as a production team to produce a podcast series about the Cop City project that includes research, pitching episodes, outlining episodes, hosting the podcast, and editing. We’ll try to understand why these cop cities are popping up, why people are resisting their construction, and different ideas around what makes a community “safe.” Great for mentees who are interested in social justice, journalism, and podcasting.
Girls Write Now Collaboratory
This Journey is Closed, but You Can Pre-Enroll in a Spring 2027 Journey Now!
Learning Objectives
Apply to Join
Deadline: January 15, 2025
As a mentee or mentor in the Investigative Podcasts Journey, you’ll have access to an online course designed to help you discover podcasting as a medium and the specific history and context of Cop City. You’ll be paired with a mentee or mentor for two full cycles, and you’ll meet with them at least twice each month. You’ll attend meetings with other participants in the Investigative Podcasts Journey once a month along with select workshops and partnership events.
- Cycle(s) Fall 2024 – Spring 2025
- Time 4 hours per month
- Areas of Focus Nonfiction, Activism, Audio, Journalism, Media, Podcasting
- Requirement Collaboratively create 8 podcast episodes
- Available Spots Per Cycle 20
Investigative Podcasts Course
This course will introduce key components of journalism, discuss different podcast structures, explain how to write a pitch and do independent research, and dive into the topic of Cop City – what it is, the movement against it, and it’s environmental impacts.
Investigative Podcasts Mentoring
Mentees and mentors in the Investigative Podcasts Journey will be matched for two cycles. Pairs will meet for at least two one-hour sessions each month.
Investigative Podcasts Community Experiences
Mentees and mentors in the Investigative Podcasts Journey must attend at least one Community Experience per month, such as Exploratory Community Studios, College & Career Chats, Affinity Group Meetings, and Salon Experiences.
- October 19, 1-2 pm ET: Uncovering Cop Cities Orientation Studio
- November 16, 11-12pm ET: Journalism Workshop
- December 7, 11-12 pm ET: Unpacking the Resources
- January 18, 11-12:30pm ET: Research Activity + Brainstorming Session
Journalism 360, Multimedia 360, and Public Policy 360 Adventures
Investigative Podcasts 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
Explore Tour (Fall 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.
Teach GWN (Fall 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.
The Career Journey: Inside Book Publishing (Fall 2026)
This Journey is for mentors curious about breaking into publishing, mentors already in the industry who want to pass on what they know, and mentees serious about building a career in books. Together you'll map the roles across publishing houses and literary agencies and get into the nuts and bolts of what each one actually does.
Explore Tour (Spring 2027)
Explore Girls Write Now’s creative and storytelling pathways through a multimedia, multi-genre experience featuring mini courses, exploratory studios, and one-to-one pair sessions. Develop skills across fiction, journalism, publishing, video, podcasting, visual storytelling, and more.
Independent Study (Spring 2027)
Create your own experience with our Independent Study Journey. Mentees and mentors meet as a pair, attend events of interest, and use coursework to support creative projects and personal goals. Along the way, you can connect with others during a mid-cycle mixer designed to spark inspiration, share ideas, and build community. The Journey culminates in a showcase where participants present the work they have developed throughout the cycle and celebrate their accomplishments together. Mentees and mentors will benefit by gaining greater independence in their learning, deepening their creative practice, and building meaningful connections while pursuing self-directed goals.
Teach GWN (Spring 2027)
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. Mentees and mentors will gain valuable skills in leadership, teaching, and community building. Mentees and mentors can facilitate a Community Studio either independently (if they are 18 or older) or together as a pair.
Screenwriting: Crafting Short Film Stories (Spring 2027)
This two-cycle Journey guides participants from crafting a short film script to bringing it to life on screen. In the first cycle, mentors and mentees focus on developing compelling stories, dynamic characters, and engaging dialogue, learning the essentials of screenwriting for short films. In the second cycle, participants move from script to screen, exploring the practical aspects of video production, including planning, collaboration, and bringing their creative vision to life. By the end of the journey, mentees will have both a polished script and hands-on experience in producing their own short film.
Lead Community Change (Part 2) (Spring 2027)
Lead Community Change is a dynamic two-cycle Journey that harnesses the transformative power of storytelling to drive social impact. Aspiring young leaders and activists will unleash their creativity to develop and implement innovative community-based social activism projects, supported by GWN’s rich storytelling resources.
Speak Your Truth: Spoken Word Poetry (Spring 2027)
Explore the power of spoken word poetry as a form of storytelling, self-expression, and social commentary.
Journalism: The Art of Profile Writing (Spring 2027)
Every person has a story to tell, and profile writing offers a way to share those stories with the world. In this Journey, mentees and mentors will learn how to build trust with subjects, conduct respectful interviews, and maintain the writer’s role as observer rather than confidante. The Journey emphasizes a holistic approach that considers subject, writer, and reader.
