MEDIA CONTACTS:
Jason Shevrin: [email protected], 202-994-5631
Nicole Carlotto: [email protected], 202-994-6466
WASHINGTON—Students from George Washington University’s Planet Forward Campus Consortium, a digital storytelling collaborative housed within GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), now have the opportunity to have their writing and videos published on National Geographic’s blog The Plate. A new program, Planet Forward Campus Voices will encourage students in more than a dozen schools to write or film blog submissions that illustrate how millennials engage with food and consider how to feed our rapidly growing planet.
Students’ work will be featured alongside contributions by world-renowned chef and activist José Andrés, food historian Rebecca Rupp, food and technology expert Maryn McKenna, food writer and legal expert Mary Beth Albright and “millennial foodie” Jasmine Wiggins.
“Student perspectives add valuable insight into how younger generations think we can tackle the global challenge that faces all ages – how to sustainably feed our growing world population,” said Margaret Zackowitz, director of short-form editorial at National Geographic “We are thrilled to partner with Planet Forward to surface these ideas as part of our ongoing dialogue at natgeofood.com.”
“This is an incredible opportunity for Planet Forward students to share their work and their passions not just with other students, but the world,” said Frank Sesno, director of SMPA and the creator and host of Planet Forward. “National Geographic and The Plate are committed to creating a global discussion about sustainability issues of food. This media partnership will give our students a voice in that dialogue.”
Planet Forward Campus Voices blog posts will appear weekly on The Plate beginning this month. Students from the Campus Voices program will attend a blog-writing workshop at the National Geographic headquarters in April 2015 as part of the Planet Forward Summit.
The Plate is part of National Geographic’s “Future of Food” initiative, which launched online (natgeofood.com) and in National Geographic magazine earlier this year. The initiative seeks to frame the overarching issues society faces in nourishing the world’s population and to celebrate and explore people’s complex relationship with what they eat and where their food comes from.
Planet Forward
Founded in 2009 and housed within the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, Planet Forward engages young people and innovators in search of solutions to the biggest challenges facing our planet. Through media, teaching and convening, Planet Forward seeks to empower new voices and elevate compelling ideas.
Members of the Planet Forward Campus Consortium include: The George Washington University, Sewanee: The University of the South, SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Drake University, Middlebury College, University of Arizona, University of Mississippi, Clark Atlanta University, Furman University, Roger Williams University, University of Calgary, University of College-Cork (Ireland) and UC-Berkeley.
National Geographic
National Geographic is a global nonprofit membership organization with a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. Each year, National Geographic funds more than 300 research, conservation and exploration projects around the globe, and every month it reaches more than 600 million people through a wide range of media, including digital, print and TV.
GW’s School of Media and Public Affairs
The George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs is dedicated to the rigorous study of journalism and political communication with a focus on understanding the impact media have on how societies inform and govern, connect and communicate. As media undergo transformational change, SMPA’s goal is to advance both theoretical insight and innovative practice. SMPA conducts groundbreaking research, offers inspiring teaching, encourages hands-on work in the field and in our production facilities and engages directly with thought-leaders in Washington, D.C., and around the world.
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