Community Reporting Workshop

Tuesday, May 26

3 p.m. — Fellows and IJNR staff gather in the lobby of the AC Hotel Detroit at the Bonstelle for welcome and introductions

3:30 p.m. — Group heads to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

4 p.m. — New Wave Award Presentation & Keynote Address

**Jenae Barnes**
Editorial fellow, Washington Magazine; Recipient 2026 New Wave Award for Excellence in Environment Reporting

**Dr. Danielle Brown**
1855 Community & Urban Journalism Professor, Michigan State University School of Journalism

5:30 p.m. — Community Reporting Panel Discussion

**Jiquanda Johnson**
Founder & Publisher, Flint Beat

**Javonte Anderson**
Editor, Capital B Gary

Ian Solomon

Outdoors Reporter, Planet Detroit

6:30 p.m. — Dinner

Overnight in Detroit

Wednesday, May 27

6:30 a.m. — Breakfast buffet at hotel opens

7:30 a.m. — Fellows are on the bus WITH ALL OF THEIR BELONGINGS, ready to depart for the Miller Ferry Terminal

10 a.m. — Ferry departs for Put-in-Bay

11 a.m. — Welcome to Ohio (and Lake Erie) - Tour of the Put-in-Bay Aquatic Visitors Center

Steve Norton

Manager, Put-in-Bay Aquatic Visitors Center, Ohio Department of Natural Resources

12 p.m. — Water taxi to Stone Lab

12:30 p.m. — Lunch at Stone Lab

1:30 p.m. — Great Lakes 101: Research Cruise on a Giant, Living Laboratory

**Sara Guiher**
Senior Continuing Education Specialist, Center for Lake Erie Research, Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

Additional research assistants from Stone Laboratory Biological Field Station to be announced.

3:45 p.m. — Walking tour of Gibraltar Island

5 p.m. — Dinner

Evening — Free time

Overnight at Stone Lab

Thursday, May 28

7:30 a.m. — Breakfast in dining hall

8:30 a.m. — Telling Environment Stories Better: Building Trust

**Dave Spratt**
CEO, Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources

Adam Hinterthuer

Associate Director, Institute for Journalism & Natural Resources

Joined by the Community Reporting Fellows

9:45 a.m. — Break

10 a.m. — Toxic Tides: Water Quality, Harmful Algal Blooms and Public Health Concerns in the Great Lakes

Additional research assistants from Stone Laboratory Biological Field Station to be announced.

12 p.m. — Lunch in dining hall

1 p.m. — The Craft of Science Writing: Vetting, Translating and Using Research in Your Reporting

Siri Carpenter

Founder, Executive Director, The Open Notebook

2:30 p.m. — Break

3 p.m. — The Craft of Science Writing, continued.

5 p.m. — Dinner in dining hall

Evening — Free time

Overnight at Stone Lab

Friday, May 29

7:30 a.m. — Breakfast in dining hall

8:30 a.m. — Check out of rooms

9 a.m. — Depart

9:30 a.m. — Miller Ferry to mainland

11 a.m. — From Source to Tap: The Science Behind Safe Drinking Water

**Andrew McClure**
Commissioner of Plant Operations, Department of Public Utilities, Toledo

**Chuck Campbell**
Project Manager, Department of Public Utilities, Toledo

**Michael Sommerville**
Plant Administrator, Collins Park Water Treatment Plant, City of Toledo

12:45 p.m. — Bus departs for lunch

1 p.m. — Lunch with Junction Coalition and community members

2 p.m. — Making Waves: The Junction Coalition and Local Residents Work Toward Water Justice (and Other Good Ideas!)

**Alicia Smith**
Executive Director, Junction Coalition

**Alexis Smith**
Program Co-Director, Freshwater Future

**Antoine Washington**
Community Engagement Specialist, Junction Coalition

4:45 p.m. — Bus departs for dinner

5 p.m. — Closing dinner

Workshop concludes

Overnight at Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton Detroit-Airport