Washington, D.C. - The Walton Family Foundation today announced a second grant to the Tribal Water Media Fellowship Program. The program supports the development of the next set of Indigenous storytellers. Students awarded fellowships will research, create and present media projects related to water and its impacts on Indigenous communities.

“The students in our first cohort demonstrated amazing creativity in exploring the issues affecting Indigenous communities and unpacking complex topics to broad audiences,” said Kaitlin Mattos, interim director of the center and an assistant professor of environment and sustainability at FLC. “We’re very thankful for the Walton Family Foundation’s partnership in this program and thrilled about the impactful projects to come.”

The Tribal Water Media Fellowship is a joint effort between Fort Lewis College, KSUT Public Radio and Rocky Mountain PBS. It is housed at the Four Corners Water Center at Fort Lewis College.

The grant will help fund the program's 2024 fellows as they engage in a two-week summer intensive. Students from a variety of backgrounds and areas of study will learn about crucial tribal water topics. The fellowship will focus on sharing powerful stories using media.

The program launched in 2023 with a cohort of 12. The fellows produced audio, video and print projects for the first Tribal Water Media Showcase. The Durango Independent Film Festival selected two student projects this year. More are being considered for distribution by public radio stations.

“Climate change is impacting our water resources. And who better to tell that story than young people exploring the realities of the crisis," said Moira Mcdonald, Environment Program Director at the Walton Family Foundation. “Fort Lewis College, KSUT and Rocky Mountain PBS are dedicated to showcasing stories of resilience through a water lens to communities.”

Multiple organizations receive assistance for environmental journalism from the foundation, including:

  • PBS Newshour 
  • NPR Climate Desk 
  • The Associated Press 
  • Society of Environmental Journalists 
  • Planet Forward 
  • The University of Missouri 
  • Reasons to be Cheerful 
  • All journalism grantees retain complete editorial control of their work.

This story was originally published by the Walton Family Foundation.