Stories from the Crown of the Continent

The Crown Reporting Project sends students into the heart of the Rocky Mountain region that spans Montana, Alberta and British Columbia. Graduate students in the University of Montana's Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism program have the opportunity to apply for this fellowship every spring. The project's purpose is to pair students with professional journalists and, through that mentorship, tell stories about climate, conservation and communities from the Crown of the Continent.

Both first-year and second-year graduate students are eligible to apply for this opportunity. The strongest pitches contain compelling characters, concrete research and specify what media will be used to tell the story. The award includes a $5,000 scholarship to help cover reporting costs. Once selected, the two students get paired with a seasoned journalist who offers guidance throughout the reporting process and then helps edit the stories so they are fit for publication.

During the Crown Reporting Project's first year in 2015, Celia Talbot Tobin worked with Chris Joyce of National Public Radio, and Ken Rand worked with Ted Alvarez of Grist and Backpacker Magazine. In 2016, graduate student Nicky Ouellet worked with Jane Greenhalgh, who is the Senior Health and Science Producer at NPR. The second student fellow, Katy Spence, worked with Hillary Rosner, an independent science and environment writer.