Are you a student or young science writer looking for guidance on how veteran science writers do their jobs? Here's a chance to find out for yourself through the NASW Mentoring at AAAS Program, which matches graduate science writing students and professionals who've been on the science beat for two years or less with established science journalists and public information officers for a day during the AAAS Annual Meeting.
Past participants have included journalism or science students, former scientists just beginning in science journalism and writers new to the science beat as journalists or public information officers (PIOs) and journalists who have recently become PIOs.
The program is limited to 25 participants (or fewer, depending on the number of mentors) who are selected following a competitive review of applications by the co-chairs of the NASW Education Committee. Although the program is designed for graduate students or professionals new to the science beat, outstanding undergraduates will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
The next AAAS annual meeting will be Feb. 16-20 in St. Louis. Deadline for applications for the on-site mentoring program is January 23. Those selected to participate must attend an orientation on Friday, Feb. 17. To gain access to the press-only areas, participants must register separately with AAAS, which can be done via the AAAS web site.
To apply for a mentor at the next AAAS annual meeting, cut and paste the form below into an e-mail message, complete it and send it to mentor@nasw.org.
____YES! I'D LIKE TO HAVE AN NASW MENTOR!
NOTE: ALL INFORMATION IS REQUIRED! INCOMPLETE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.
Name: ______________________________________
Address: ______________________________________
Phone: ______________________________________
E-mail: ______________________________________
_____ I am a member of NASW (you must have signed up by Jan. 1, 2006).
My preferences are for: Sat ______ Sun ______ Mon _____
_____ university/public relations mentor
_____ journalist mentor (specify newspaper, magazine, broadcast, Internet or freelance)
Science field(s) of particular interest?
My writing experience is:
___none
___class work only
___1-3 published articles/broadcast stories/news releases
___4+ published articles/broadcast stories/news releases
Will you be filing stories from the annual meeting?
_____ yes ______ no
What do you expect from your mentor? (check all that apply)
____ networking
____ specific career advice
____ a journalist/public relations day-in-the-life
____ introductions to editors for freelance work
____ Other? (please specify) _____________________
Please include below (NO ATTACHMENTS) a brief summary of your educational and professional background. You may also provide links to writing samples, if they are available on the web. If not, please let us know where and when some of your best work was published or broadcast, with descriptions of your stories.
