FEBRUARY 16, 2009--

In May 2008, The Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media announced the selection of six journalists as Fellows and nine as Associates to participate in its  “Covering America, Covering Community Colleges’’ fellowship. The group was selected from a competitive field of more than 40 applicants.

The first project published in the “Covering America, Covering Community Colleges’’ 2008 fellowship was authored by Rob Chaney of The Missoulian. Mr. Chaney published his seven part “Native Stories,’’ (January 19, 2009) about Montana’s tribal histories and its community colleges. The project is available here: http://missoulian.com/native/ with the following introduction:

Montana is the only state in the nation with a constitution commanding respect for its American Indian heritage in its public schools. Yet for decades after that goal was drafted, little was done to introduce its tribal nations to mainstream culture. That changed two years ago, when education leaders launched the Montana Tribal History Project. After years of reporting on Indian education in Missoula schools, reporter Rob Chaney received a fellowship from Columbia University's Hechinger Institute on Education and the Media to explore the issue on a statewide level. He traveled more than 3,000 miles, visiting all seven of Montana's Indian reservations and their tribal colleges. He met with community elders, historians, students and teachers to learn about a groundbreaking tribal history project that will be coming to the state's public schools next year. These tribes made history by gathering history. In collecting their stories and archives and interviews, the tribal historians changed the way their communities viewed themselves. They've also opened a window for the rest of Montana to confront its own legacy of white-Indian relations. For seven days beginning Sunday, the Missoulian will investigate how these tribal histories came to be and how they'll affect everyone in Montana.

On February 15, 2009, Tom Marshall of the St. Petersburg Times authored “Programs Help Refugee Doctors Gain Status in U.S.” His article is available at: http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/college/article975757.ece. His project, which focuses on the role of community colleges serving the educational needs of refugees and asylum-seekers, is published at: http://www.tampabay.com/specials/2009/photo_galleries/doctors_in_exile/.

--Lean more about the “Covering America, Covering Community Colleges,’’ fellowship at: http://hechinger.tc.columbia.edu/default.aspx?pageid=1781

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