Prime Movers Project Partners With White House Correspondents

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEDIA CONTACTS
Emily Cain 202-994-3087; [email protected]
Samara Sit 202-994-5349; [email protected]

GW'S PRIME MOVERS MEDIA PROGRAM FORMS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENTS' ASSOCIATION TO MENTOR HIGH SCHOOLERS

WHCA to Help Teach High School Journalists and Donate $20,000 to the Program

WASHINGTON - The George Washington University's Prime Movers Media (PMM) Program, Washington, D.C.'s only high school journalist mentoring program, has formed a new partnership with the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA). Through the partnership, WHCA will volunteer with PMM, which brings together professional journalists and GW students to mentor high school student journalists. WHCA also will donate $20,000 to the program and highlight PMM at its annual White House Correspondents dinner in spring 2011.

"We are delighted to be able to support a program that has already mentored thousands of journalists in the D.C. area," said Michael Scherer, TIME magazine White House correspondent and WHCA donations committee member. "This is precisely the sort of work that the White House Correspondents' Association was founded to support."

Based at the George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs (SMPA), the PMM program sends veteran journalists and GW students to mentor high school students and assist teachers while revitalizing their media programs in television, radio, print and digital /online production. So far this year, PMM has active programs in eight high schools in Washington D.C,. and just received its fourth year of direct support from the D.C. Public Schools system with a $100,000 grant to continue its ongoing journalism training and promotion of diversity among young journalists. More than 3,500 high school students in greater Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia have been directly impacted by the PMM program by nearly 100 professional journalists since the inception of PMM in 2004.

"We are happy to have the support of this prestigious organization of the nation's top journalists," said Dorothy Gilliam, PMM director, an industry pioneer and former head of the National Association of Black Journalists. "The involvement of this esteemed association will be exciting for our D.C. high school students and will contribute to our goals of revitalizing media programs, mentoring future journalists and advancing media literacy and civic engagement of youth in urban and diverse high schools."

The 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 ground-breaking 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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