We are fostering the next generation of media-savvy journalists. Join us.
At Hakai Magazine, we believe in the power of journalism to bring coastal science and societies alive
for readers, mixing text and imagery in a compelling package. In just a few years, we’ve grown our
online magazine to 95,000 monthly readers, won major journalism awards, and shined a light on issues
that matter.
We love what we do. And we believe in what we do—so much that we are investing in the next generation
of articulate, thoughtful, and skilled journalists who can communicate science to a general audience
using all the tools at our disposal. We launched our internship program in 2018 and our fellowship
program in 2019. Jess Mackie, our first fellow, says "I simply wouldn’t be the journalist I am today
without having the experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have these last six months."
In 2020, we will offer both a fully paid internship and fellowship. We need your support to help us
cultivate the next generation of journalists. Are you in?
One of the primary gaps in journalism today is the lack of continuous investment in the next
generation. We will tackle that problem with a four-month internship and an eight-month fellowship.
By training a cadre of journalists, we invest in a constructive future. One full of hope. As James
Baldwin wrote: "People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction."
With each position we fund, we bring one more articulate, intelligent voice to the media landscape.
Readers have asked us how they can contribute to Hakai Magazine—well this is your chance!
The closure of so many journalism outlets in the past decade has led to a decrease in opportunities
to learn the craft in a way that preserves the integrity of the profession for the future.
We are committed to matching your donation one-to-one. The funds we raise will go towards the
journalist’s salary, the costs of mentoring the journalist, and travel costs for reporting trips.
Every action, no matter how small, impacts the world. "We cannot live through a single day without
making an impact on the world around us—and we have a choice as to what sort of difference we make,"
wrote Jane Goodall.
The Hakai Institute’s Calvert Island ecological observatory lies at the heart of BC’s Central
Coast—the heart of the
Great Bear Rainforest if you like. The opportunities for research and advanced education are as
great as anywhere on
the planet. The Central Coast is also the traditional territory of four First Nations, the Heiltsuk,
Kitasoo/Xai’xais, Nuxalk and Wuikinuxv. Calvert Island lies at a natural point of convergence of
travel and trade
routes on the Central Coast, and has therefore been a gathering place for millennia. As stewards of
this significant
location, we want to sustain its role as a meeting place, particularly to encourage the principles
we believe
in—cooperation, collaboration, education, leadership, ecosystem based management, and sustainable
development.
Our hosting of the annual gathering of the Coastal Guardian Watchmen and follow-up training courses
exemplifies that
commitment.
Education at all levels is always a priority for us. The communities on the Central Coast are
dispersed over a wide
landscape. Community schools are small and lack resources. Teachers, challenged to teach a wide
range of material in
which they are not specifically trained, lack opportunities for collaboration, mentoring and
professional
development. This is particularly the case for science education.
We have attempted to help address this problem via a two-pronged approach:
- Spring workshops for science teachers from across the Central Coast where they can learn from
experts and each
other.
- Summer visits by teachers and their classes, in many cases accompanied by cultural experts who
can enrich the
educational experience with traditional ecological knowledge.
Travel to these events is difficult and costly. Your donation to help defray travel costs can assure
us that this
work is valued, and allow us to sustain and perhaps expand our community programs.