Storymakers FAQ
Thank you for your interest in the Wrigley Institute Storymakers fellowship! Please see below for answers to some commonly asked questions about the program.
Note: Applications for the 2024 Storymakers cohort are now closed. Please check back with us in late 2024 to apply for the 2025 cohort.
Eligibility & Applications
Q: Who is eligible to apply for a USC Wrigley Institute Storymakers fellowship?
A: The program is designed for full-time, mid-career researchers whose primary field of study is environment- or sustainability-related topics. We encourage natural-science, social-science, and humanities researchers to apply. To date, most Fellows have been tenured faculty at leading four-year colleges and universities in the U.S. and Canada, but we welcome interested professionals who study environmental and sustainability issues at state academies of sciences, government agencies, and independent research organizations.
Q: Is this program open to applicants from outside North America?
A: Researchers from outside North America are welcome to apply but should be aware of the following details:
- Our instructors are American professionals focused on the English-speaking media market. We prioritize applicants whose primary audience aligns with our expertise.
- All program instruction is conducted in English, and some technical language is involved.
- Applicants must fund their own travel to and from Los Angeles, California, and are solely responsible for meeting all requirements, such as visas, for legally entering the country to participate in this program.
Q: What is the application deadline?
A: We are reviewing applications and extending invitations on a rolling basis. The final deadline for applications is February 1, 2024, at 11pm Pacific Time. However, we may reach capacity prior to this deadline and encourage you to apply as early as possible.
Q: When will applicants be notified of decisions?
A: You will receive immediate email confirmation that your application has been submitted. Applications will be evaluated and applicants notified on a rolling basis. All decisions will be finalized and shared by March 1, 2024, at the latest.
Costs
Q: What costs are involved, and what does the fellowship cover?
A: Fellows are responsible for their own travel to and from Los Angeles, plus their arrival hotel. The Wrigley Institute will arrange for a discounted room rate for arrivals.
The fellowship covers all costs associated with program instruction; ground transportation from a local hotel to the boat dock for departure; boat transportation on the USC vessel Miss Christi from San Pedro, CA, to the Wrigley Marine Science Center on Santa Catalina Island; room, board, and all scheduled activities while on the island; the wrap party; and one night at a departure hotel.
Q: What if I don’t have the funds for out-of-pocket costs?
A: We encourage you to investigate whether all or part of your out-of-pocket expenses may be payable through research or professional development funding available through your home institution or third parties. If you are unable to acquire funding through these sources, please contact us. We do not want costs to be a barrier to participation for applicants who have been accepted to the program.
Travel & Attendance
Q: Where does the program take place?
A: The core program will take place at the Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC) on Santa Catalina Island, just over 20 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. WMSC is the satellite campus of the Wrigley Institute for Environment and Sustainability, and is located in a nature preserve in a remote part of Catalina Island. The program will also include a wrap party and hotel stay in Los Angeles on the final night.
Q: Just how remote? Will I be sleeping in a tent?
A: The Wrigley Marine Science Center campus is equipped with modern, comfortable lodging and other facilities. Fellows will be housed in townhome-, apartment-, or cottage-style housing with private bedrooms. WMSC also has a fully-equipped dining hall that serves three delicious meals each day. A restaurant and general store are available in the village of Two Harbors, which is about two miles away.
First aid assistance is available on campus through the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, an emergency medical facility for diving injuries. The campus is served by Bay Watch paramedics for emergency situations and has a helipad for medical evacuations. However, the nearest pharmacy and hospital are 90 minutes away on unpaved roads. All Fellows are encouraged to bring enough essential medications for the duration of their stay and to take care of any predictable medical needs before arriving in Los Angeles.
Q: When does the program take place?
A: The 2024 program will take place June 23-29, 2024. We recommend that all Fellows plan to stay in Long Beach or San Pedro on the night of June 22, as the boat for Catalina Island will depart from San Pedro early in the morning on June 23. The Wrigley Institute will arrange for a discounted arrival room block in a local hotel, and ground transportation will be provided from that hotel to the boat dock. You should plan to depart Los Angeles on June 30. The Wrigley Institute will provide one night’s accommodation in a departure hotel.
Q: How should I arrange travel to and from Los Angeles?
A: Fellows are responsible for their own travel to and from Los Angeles and their arrival hotel, if needed. You will have the option to book your arrival hotel through a discounted room block arranged by the Wrigley Institute.
Ground transportation between the room-block hotel and the boat dock, round-trip boat transportation between Los Angeles and Catalina Island, ground transportation between San Pedro and the departure hotel, and one night at the departure hotel will be provided and booked for you by the Wrigley Institute.
More details on travel will be communicated to accepted Fellows in early 2024.
Q: Can I attend all or part of the program remotely?
A: Storymakers is an intensive program whose impact and value stems, in part, from the dynamic of living and working together for a week. Conversations over meals, hikes and snorkels on Catalina Island, and the peacefulness and separation of the surroundings are all key contributors to learning, inspiration, relationship-building, and effective work. For these reasons, all Fellows and primary instructors are required to be on site in order to participate.
Q: I have an existing obligation during the fellowship week. Can I arrive late or leave early?
A: Storymakers is an intensive program, and every day counts. Please apply only if you can commit to being fully present for the entire week. If you are unable to make such a commitment this year, we encourage you to apply during a sabbatical year or at a similar time when you have fewer competing commitments.
Q: Will I have time to handle my academic responsibilities during the program?
A: Each day of Storymakers involves a full day of programming, and sessions involve intensive thinking, creating, and learning. Down time is built into the program, but is meant to be used for quiet work, rest, or inspiration. If you feel that your focus will be divided, we encourage you to apply during a sabbatical year or at a similar time when you have fewer competing commitments.
Program Curriculum & Events
Q: Do I need to come to the program with a specific project idea in mind?
A: Not at all! You should have an idea of the core message, theme, or story you want to convey to the public, but you do not need to have a specific project in mind. In fact, Storymakers is designed in part to encourage you to consider unexpected storytelling avenues. We want you to think outside your comfort zone and be inspired to do things you didn’t think you could do!
Q: What topics will be covered?
A: The overarching theme of this program is the use of powerful narratives to catalyze change around the environment and sustainability. We will examine how stories can be used ethically and effectively for this purpose. Expert instructors will guide Fellows through storytelling in different media formats, such as written, audio, visual, and experiential creations. We will cover elements of craft (e.g. how to structure a piece of writing), of creative process (e.g. surfacing personal memories and building scenes), and of business (e.g. how to pitch to an agent).
Q: Will I receive ongoing support?
A: The official Storymakers program lasts one week, but its long-term impact will be what you make of it. We encourage followups and relationship-building after the program ends, and many Fellows form lasting friendships and collaborations with the other members of their cohort. Some have created critique groups, accountability circles, and other voluntary means of continuing to support each other as alumni. In addition, the program is designed to help you build your professional network of people who can help advance creative projects. Many Fellows go on to work with book agents, producers, and others who have served as instructors, guest speakers, or friends of the program.
Q: What is the wrap party?
A: The wrap party is a fun concluding event attended by Storymakers Fellows, instructors, Wrigley Institute staff, friends of the program, and leaders in media and the arts. The goal is to provide an opportunity to enjoy some fun after an intense week of work, offer you the chance to connect with individuals who can advise you on creative projects, and help you practice sharing your ideas with a non-specialist audience.