Reporting Institute and Grant Opportunity for Brazilian Journalists

The Dart Center is offering an intensive three-day seminar, along a reporting grant opportunity ($1000 USD / 5,800 Reais) for senior and mid-career Brazilian journalists wishing to undertake reporting on the impact of climate change, technology, and social and racial inequality on young children. Public policies that consider children ages 0 to 6 are critical for progress and sustainability for both individuals and society as a whole. Research by economist and Nobel Prize winner James Heckman shows that for every dollar invested in early childhood, society saves seven dollars (through a reduction in spending on healthcare, incarceration, et al.).

In Brazil, where social and racial disparities are deeply entrenched, young children in marginalized communities are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, digital exclusion, and systemic inequalities. From extreme weather events that threaten housing and food security to the widening digital divide that limits access to information, these factors influence the trajectory of a child’s development from birth. As Brazil prepares to host world leaders in the UN Climate Change Conference in Belém in November 2025, this program aims to put early childhood development at the top of the news agenda.

The three-day seminar will include expert briefings, panels and journalist-to-journalist conversations and explore topics like the neuroscience of early brain development, climate and technology policies and impacts, and social and racial inequality and its effects on children.

The seminar will be held June 27-29 in Rio de Janeiro. Speakers from previous seminars include Dr Jack P. Shonkoff, Director of the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University; Dr Charles Nelson III, Neuroscientist and Professor of Pediatrics at Harvard University; and Juliana Prates, former deputy director of the Institute of Psychology at the Federal University of Bahia.

Twenty journalists from across Brazil will be selected to participate in the seminar and provided a reporting grant to pursue a relevant story with editorial support from an experienced coach.

Applicants should propose a story related to the themes of the seminar and the expectation is that they will report the story between July and October 2025.

Applications are now open and the deadline to apply is Monday, April 14 at 6pm BRT.

Preference will be given to senior and mid-career Brazilian journalists with prior experience covering climate and the environment, technology, health, education, and/or social and racial inequality.

Applicants’ professional experience and prior work will be considered as will geography, media type (legacy news organizations, local and independent media outlets, and new media), and other factors.

The Dart Center will cover travel from participants' home cities to Rio de Janeiro, three-nights of hotel accommodations and meals during the seminar. Selected participants who are based in Rio will be given a stipend for ground transportation during the seminar.

Stories supported by this program have received international awards from organizations such as the Gabriel García Márquez Foundation and the UN food branch (FAO).

This program is part of the Dart Center’s Early Childhood Journalism Initiative, launched in 2017 to encourage journalists around the world to report on young children and caregivers. Published reports can be found here.

Staff reporters and freelancers are eligible to apply.

Applicants must be able to demonstrate that their project will have a likely outlet for publication or broadcast.

Story pitches must focus on children age six or younger to be given serious consideration. They should tackle the effects of climate change, technology, and social and racial inequality on young children. Each fellow will be awarded USD $1,000 to report a story or undertake their project. In addition, fellows will be paired with an experienced story coach for editorial guidance and support. Collaborative projects between more than one journalist will not be considered.

Application Information

The application deadline is April 14 at 6pm BRT. A committee will review applications, and applicants will be notified with a decision by May 12, 2025.

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must propose a story or project about young children and the themes of the seminar that can be completed and scheduled for publication or broadcast by November 15, 2025.

• Applicants must be Brazilian and living in Brazil.

• Applicants must have in mind a media outlet for the project – either as a staff writer or freelancer – and a substantiated reason to think the outlet is a likely publishing or broadcast partner.

• Applicants must agree to attend the full three-day seminar June 27-29 in Rio and agree to stay in regular contact with their story coach

Application Information

• The application deadline is April 14 at 6 BRT.

• A committee will review applications, and applicants will be notified with a decision by May 14, 2025

Application Requirements

To apply for the program, you must create a free account on Submittable. Please apply here.

To submit a completed application, you will need:

• Resume / CV

• Professional Bio

• Letter of interest: Your letter should discuss your work as a journalist, your professional experiences reporting on climate, technology, education, health, racial or social inequality and/or children, why you wish to participate, and a story pitch that, if selected, you would undertake with a $1000 USD reporting stipend and editorial support. (No more than 2 pages.)

• Two relevant work samples

This program has been underwritten in full by the Fundação Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal.