prime movers

Prime Movers is a collaborative pilot program between The George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs, three news media companies and four Washington, D.C., area high schools. Using the knowledge, experience and enthusiasm of five veteran journalists and eight GWU interns, Prime Movers has started or revitalized high school print and broadcast programs at Ballou and Roosevelt senior high schools in the District of Columbia and at Mt. Vernon and J.E.B. Stuart high schools in Fairfax (Va.) County. The program was launched in June 2004 after receiving a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

The three media companies -- National Public Radio, WJLA-TV and USA TODAY -- released journalists to spend five weeks in participating schools. The unique teaching and mentoring program gives professional journalists an opportunity to inspire and train high school students, to provide mentoring to a diverse group of undergraduate journalism students, to be revitalized and to give back to their communities. Through them, their media companies are a tangible presence in the participating schools, being good corporate citizens.

Prime Movers engages high school teachers and administrators in a higher commitment to starting and developing media programs that will shape a new generation of journalists and stimulate interest in students becoming consumers of news. Click here for the Dow Jones Newspaper Fund profile on Prime Movers.

Through its internship component, the program provides university journalists poised to enter the job market with the rich experience of working with professional journalists and teaching their new craft to the generation following them.

To learn more about Prime Movers contact Prime Movers Director Dorothy Gilliam at dgilliam@gwu.edu or (202) 994-0761.