Upod Academy Scholars Program

Scholarships Available for Upod Academy

MARCH 12-13, 2022 UPOD ACADEMY WORKSHOP FOR FREELANCE WRITERS. LIVE TWO-DAY WEEKEND SESSION VIA ZOOM.

with

LAUREN N. WILLIAMS
SENIOR EDITOR, CULTURE & ‘AMERICA IN PERSON’ SECTION
THE ATLANTIC

POOH SHAPIRO
HEALTH & SCIENCE EDITOR
THE WASHINGTON POST

MICHELLE LEGRO
FEATURES EDITOR
WIRED
(FORMERLY LONGREADS, THE NEW REPUBLIC AND LAPHAM’S QUARTERLY)

SASHA WEISS
SENIOR EDITOR, CULTURE DESK
THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE

DERRIK J. LANG
LIFESTYLE & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
SHONDALAND

Thanks to the generous contributions of the Upod writers community, several free spots are available at Upod Academy workshops for writers and journalists who identify as Black, Indigenous, and/or people of color.

More information about the latest workshop here.

SPONSOR A UPOD SCHOLARSHIP

SUCCESS STORY: June 2020 Upod Scholar Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggetts:

See what I mean? Wow, right? Keep reading: In April 2021, Tracey got a second book deal! Take a look! Two book contracts in one year:

By the way, Black Joy did incredibly well when it released in 2022. How well? We’re talking NAME IN LIGHTS ON BROADWAY well, with interviews on Good Morning America and other places. Go Tracey, go, go, go, goooooo!

Here’s another success tale, just from that June session, from longtime Upod member Tre Johnson:

Okay, one more (there are many but I know you’re busy.). Nicole Young pitched an idea—a complex and emotional one—at a Upod session to a Vox editor about collective mourning in New Orleans. Here’s the Vox story that ran in January 2022

That wasn’t it for Nicole in January 2022. On her Upod weekend, she had pitched an Elle editor an idea about dating in the Black “manosphere.” Here’s that beautiful story on the bad Zoom date that led her down a rabbit hole of toxic masculinity.

Good things. But you need to apply. See the form down yonder. Or if you’d like to sponsor a scholarship, click here. Please and since thank yous.

A portion of each scholarship goes to support The Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, which increases the ranks, retention and profile of reporters and editors of color in the field of investigative reporting.

Major gratitude to Upodder and freelancer Jennifer Chen for the initial inspiration and her ongoing donations, as well as to the following generous sponsors and contributors:

Andrea King Collier
Marie Condron
Tara J. Ellison
Alexis Garcia
Dr. Cynthia Greenlee
Marc Hertz
Daniel Higgins
Pamela K. Johnson
Eric Messinger
Rachel Ng
Kristin Ohlson
Nicola Pulling
Jessica Ritz
Connie Sommer
Esther Tseng
Paul Tullis
Several anonymous donors