Planet Forward
Do you have a great story to tell?
Are you passionate about environmental issues? Do you have an eye (or an ear) for a really good story? Are you contemplating a career in environmental communication, journalism, or advocacy? If so, Planet Forward may be a great opportunity for you. Headquartered at the School for Media and Public Affairs at George Washington University, Planet Forward is a news platform that publishes student storytelling on environmental and sustainability issues related to climate change, energy, food, water, and more. With student storytellers and correspondents at twenty participating colleges (including Eckerd), it is also great way to network with other student storytellers, as well as professional storytellers, who share your interests and are looking to build careers that help to move the planet forward.
Ways to get involved
Submit a story
Planet Forward accepts stories throughout the year in the form of video, text, podcast, infographic, and more. Complete submission guidelines are available here. You will also find helpful tips on developing your story idea, using video equipment, and other related topics. Planet Forward also sponsors a yearly Storyfest Competition that gives six grand prize winners a chance to take a storytelling voyage to extraordinary places such as the Amazon or Alaska.
Become a correspondent
Planet Forward correspondents work from each member campus and contribute a minimum of four stories per academic year. They work directly with Planet Forward's editorial staff, receive a travel grant to go to the yearly Planet Forward summit, and are eligible to participate in professionalization workshops and leadership opportunities. Learn more about the Planet Forward Correspondent program here.
Attend the conference
PLEASE NOTE: Due to concerns with the spread of COVID-19, the 2020 Planet Forward Conference has been rescheduled for October 8-10, 2020.
Every year, Planet Forward hosts a summit which brings together journalists, policymakers, industry leaders, and aspiring student storytellers to hear about new developments in environmental journalism and communication, network and build new career opportunities, and share outstanding student work. Check out the 2018 conference program here. If you are interest in attending the 2019 summit, email hagoodca@eckerd.edu.
Stay informed
Check the Planet Forward website regularly to stay informed about environmental issues, policy developments, innovations, and environmental arts. Follow Planet Forward on Facebook. Keep an eye out for Planet Forward salons. These in-depth conversations feature sustainability experts from many fields and broadcast over Facebook Live.
Featured Stories
March 9, 2018
"The Life of a Water Bottle" by Nancy Etro '20 (Environmental Studies). Nancy's video won finalist for Most Creativity in the Art of Environmental Storytelling in the 2018 Storyfest competition.
February 15, 2018
When birdwatching actually helps us watch our waterways by Henley Guill '19 (Environmental Studies/ Literature)
In the News
Consider the Tomato
Anthropology major Brigit Kenney '20 will join a group of Planet Forward students exploring tomato cultivation, processing, and distribution in Woodland, California this August 2018. The group will focus on how tomato producers are maximizing the nutrition of their crop while minimizing waste. Brigit is currently completing an internship with Pinellas County Public Schools Food Services department and has previously volunteered at an organic blueberry farm and worked with Eckerd's composting program. She will submit a story about this experience to the Planet Forward website in Fall 2018.
Congratulations to Eckerd's first Planet Forward Correspondent!
Cass Hobar '19 will work with Planet Forward's editorial team in 2018-2019 to hone her storytelling craft while spreading the word about sustainability initiatives at Eckerd and beyond. She is a Psychology and Environmental Studies double major, with a Management minor. She has a passion for nature and environmental sustainability. In her free time, if she is not drawing or painting, she is out finding some way to immerse herself in nature, typically near the water. This summer, Cass is gained experience and new story ideas through an internship at Marineland in St. Augustine.
Eckerd students attend Planet Forward Summit in D.C.
Nicole VĂ©lez '18 attended the 2018 Planet Forward Summit and documented the experience here.
On April 5-6, five Eckerd students attended Planet Forward's 2018 Summit at George Washington University. Attendees enjoyed talks and networking opportunities with journalists and editors working with National Geographic, The New York Times, and Discovery, Inc, among others.
Eckerd students Cass Hobar '19 (Psychology /Environmental Studies), Janie Holloman (Environmental Studies / Political Science), Nancy Etro '20 (Environmental Studies), Caroline Wood '18 (Communication / Environmental Studies), and Nicole Velez '18 (Biology / Environmental Studies) with Planet Forward Founder and Director of GWU's School of Media & Public Affairs, Frank Sesno.
Planet Forward town hall on sustainable energy leadership featuring Denise Fairchild (President and CEO, Emerald Cities Collaborative), Nick Akins (Chairman, President, and CEO, American Electric Power), Susan Eisenhower (CEO and Chairman, Eisenhower Group, Inc), and Ted Roosevelt IV (Managing Director, Barclays Capital Corporation). Eckerd attendees was also found a little time for sight seeing on the National Mall.