The GBH Kids Scriptwriting Fellowship is a program designed to mentor promising, early-career writers from underrepresented communities in writing scripts for a GBH Kids animated series that focuses on STEM learning. The goal is to diversify the pipeline of writers for both this show and the greater children’s media industry by providing early-career writers, who are members of underrepresented groups in the greater children’s media industry (including but not limited to individuals of African American, Asian, Latinx/Hispanic, Native American, and Pacific Islander descent) with a hands-on learning experience in television writing for children and an opportunity for their scripts to be produced for a new television series.
The GBH Kids Scriptwriting Fellowship will take place virtually over 10 sessions, with weekly reading and writing assignments between sessions, beginning in late January 2022 through late April 2022, with further mentorship and feedback sessions May 2022 through August 2022. Up to five fellows will be chosen through an application and interview process. The Fellowship will cover all aspects of writing for GBH Kids, providing support on how to write stories that engage children in STEM learning, and ways to further writers’ own career development within the children’s media field. This will be a hands-on, workshop-style program: Fellows are expected to leave the fellowship with a completed script that will be up for consideration to be further developed for a nationally broadcast television series. All scripts will be solely owned by WGBH Educational Foundation.
Program Details:
- Scriptwriting Fellowship: an intensive guided writing workshop (10 sessions), designed to learn how to write an 11-minute animated episode, with a STEM curriculum, for a new animated TV series.
- Dates/Times Commitment: 10 sessions, with weekly reading and writing assignments between sessions, will be held from late January 2022 through late April 2022, followed by up to 3 months of additional feedback and mentorship. Meeting times currently under consideration are Tuesdays 12-2pm ET, 2-4pm ET, or 3-5pm ET (with the option for suggestions/feedback for other days or times, though we cannot guarantee we can accommodate them).
- All sessions will be virtual.
- 5 writers will be selected.
- Each writer will receive a fee of $4000 for their participation in the workshops and their finished script.
Candidate requirements:
- You must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
- Writing experience: early career (candidates should NOT have had a script produced/distributed by a major network/streamer).
- You must be willing and able to complete one, 11-minute script per the terms of the Fellowship
- This is an intensive writing workshop, therefore you must have enough time to participate in all 10 sessions and complete all weekly reading and writing assignments between sessions. Sessions will start in late January 2022 and go through late April 2022, with further mentorship and feedback sessions May 2022 through August 2022.
Application Requirements:
- Application form
- Must be at least 18 years of age
- 5-11 page script, with content appropriate for a children's audience up to age 10
- Resume (this should include both your writing and non-writing work experiences)
- Two personal statements (up to 250 words each) on “What do you hope to take away from this experience?” and “Why do you want to write stories with a STEM curriculum for children?”
- Sign GBH Submission Release Form
Online applications will be accepted up to 5pm on 11/12/21 (subject to GBH’s discretion).
Major funding for this workshop is provided by: a Ready To Learn Grant from the U.S. Department of Education; the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, a private corporation funded by the American People; and public television viewers.
The contents of this Scriptwriting Fellowship were developed under a grant from the Department of Education. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government. [PR/Award No. S295A200004, CFDA No. 84.295A]