Journalism Fellowship STEP - University of Regina Journalism Fellowship - 2009
2009 will mark the first year of STEP’s three year pledge to the University of Regina Journalism Fellowship. Following past discussions with the University of Regina School of Journalism, the change in focus in the program will provide students pursing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism degree with the opportunity to travel for advanced study in international journalism and /or internship employment positions.
Criteria for the scholarship includes registration in a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism or Bachelor of Journalism degree program, a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 75%, successful completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours toward degree program requirements, and an 800 - 1000 word essay providing an explanation of how the scholarship will advance an applicant’s journalism studies. Selection will take place from a panel from the School of Journalism whose mandate will be to review and recommend a suitable candidate to the Student Awards and Financial Aid Office.
On completion, the student must provide a 1,500 to 2,000 word magazine feature to the Head of the School of Journalism. The focus will be on international markets of Saskatchewan organizations, companies and institutes, providing evidence that the student has served with a news organization abroad or participated in international study.
STEP Journalism Fellowship - 2003 - 2008
The objective of the STEP Journalism Fellowship was to provide Saskatchewan journalists with the opportunity to experience other cultures and become better informed about Saskatchewan’s participation in the global marketplace. The fellowship was a proven means to allow these professionals the opportunity to write accurate and insightful stories about Saskatchewan’s role in the world.
From the onset of the program, it was a given that journalists in Saskatchewan are fully aware that our economy, culture, arts and business affairs are strongly influenced by other countries as Saskatchewan’s economy is more reliant on trade than any other province. Providing a comprehensive local angle to a story, even one that originates abroad, often depends on a solid understanding of our role in the world. Finding opportunities to develop the broader knowledge can be difficult, particularly with the high cost of traveling abroad. The STEP Journalism Fellowship provided assistance to offset such expenditures.
STEP provided up to two Saskatchewan journalists per year from any print, radio or television media with the opportunity to travel in a country of their choice on assignment. The program was open to a journalist residing in Saskatchewan employed by a Canadian newspaper, magazine, business publication, television station or radio station as a reporter, feature writer or as a freelancer specializing in business, politics, technology or economic affairs. Applicants were required to have professional training or a minimum of two years experience in their field and previous STEP Journalism Fellowship recipients were eligible to apply. Successful applicants were selected by an independent jury based on the importance and originality of the topics proposed by the applicant. Significant weight was given to a story centered on trade from a Saskatchewan perspective. Recipients received up to $5,000 CDN to cover part or all of their return airfare between Canada and the country of choice, transportation, food and accommodation in that country.
STEP Journalism Fellowship - University of Regina - Journalism Fellowship - 2009 Recipient
Barbara Woolsey, a Canadian journalist and current events enthusiast, is the recipient of the first year of STEP’s three-year commitment to the University of Regina School Of Journalism. She is in her third year of the University of Regina School of Journalism and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with a minor in political science. She has been an avid reader and writer since a very young age and in 2003, she won second place in the Canadian League of Poets Annual Poetry Contest. This sparked submissions to other publications such as What If? Magazine, Sasquatch Newspaper, and the Minus 20 Section of The Leader-Post. Currently, Barbara is the Op-Ed editor of the University of Regina’s student newspaper, The Carillon. Barbara has had her work syndicated to other publications including The Sheaf, The Brock Press, and The Other Press through The Canadian University Press. As the recipient of the new STEP Fellowship, Barbara will work for The Bangkok Post in Bangkok, Thailand for a three month term commencing in September 2010. The paper is Thailand’s leading English language daily and is known for its strong business, social, and political reporting. Operating in a free press environment, the paper is a leader in newsgathering, analysis, and opinion throughout Southeast Asia.
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