Write (or do something – hell, anything) for the Triangle Blog Blog! We are offering small grants of $100-$150 for student work. Read on, friends! 

What is the Triangle Blog Blog?

Triangle Blog Blog is the nation’s preeminent blog that ignores most of the nation to focus like a low-powered laser on civics in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. We cover topics like housing, transit, economic development, politics, and governance.

Read about our organization at: triangleblogblog.com/about/

We are nerds who love data, maps, humor, and building a more welcoming and sustainable community. And we want your help! 

What do you want from me?

We want you to produce content for our website. To date, the Blog Blog has been an all volunteer effort, but we are interested in paying students to help us add fresh content and new voices.   

We typically post pieces from 600-1,000 words but are open to other formats, like infographics, photo series, videos, or interactive data tools or maps. We are open to your ideas!

Just make sure the idea is for original work, focused on or relevant to the Carrboro/Chapel Hill area, and accessible to a lay audience. 

What are some examples of content you are looking for? 

We are open and want you to be creative! Here are some topics we might be interested in: 

  • Mapping Black land loss due to the expansion of UNC’s campus 
  • How to increase the financial viability of small farms in rural Orange County 
  • Summary of policies or programs that help older residents age in place
  • Strategies to simultaneously reduce stormwater runoff and expand our greenway network 
  • A primer on universal basic income
  • Identification of homes at risk of tear downs for new McMansions rather than denser housing 
  • Examples of public private partnerships to add mixed-income housing on campus-owned land
  • Technologies or services shown to be effective at increasing community engagement in local government among historically marginalized populations 

Can I submit something I’ve already written?

Sure, as long as you own the work and have any necessary permissions for it to published on the Blog Blog.

Can I submit something I plan to write this semester?

Yes! We’re happy to help you brainstorm a topic that works for us and your class assignment. 

Can I submit something longer than 1,000 words?

We know you love that dissertation chapter you’ve been working on since 2014. We…might not. We’d prefer a shorter summary of a longer piece but happy to discuss. 

Can a group of people submit an idea?

Yes, we might consider funding a larger project if it’s a fantastic idea – but we have limited resources and want to make sure we generate a variety of new content for the website. Just let us know what you are thinking. 

Do I have to be a UNC student to apply? 

Nope, but we are limiting this call to students who live in Orange County, NC, and are currently enrolled in a college, graduate/professional school, or high school. 

How much are the grants, and how many are available?

We expect to fund 10-15 small projects at $100-$150 each.  

How do I apply? What’s the deadline?

We want this to be as painless as possible for you and us. To apply:

  1. Pitch your idea in 400 words or less and provide some basic information about yourself here. We’re accepting applications on a rolling basis. If this post is still live on TBB, we are still making grants. 
  2. If we like your idea, we’ll offer feedback and propose a timeline for completion and funding amount. We hope to publish your piece by August 30, 2024. 
  3. If you agree, you start work! 

How do I get paid?

We expect to make two partial payments: the first upon submission of a first draft for feedback from Triangle Blog Blog, the second upon submission of a final draft that is ready to be published. We will agree to a specific payment plan before you begin your work. 

Are there other requirements?

While these are small grants, we expect honest and accurate work. We will ask you to cite your sources and reserve the right to see data or other resources you use for your project. If applicable, we may ask you to write up your methods to include in the published piece. 

In the last municipal election cycle, we helped increase turnout by over 20 percent. We're all volunteers who care deeply about Chapel Hill and Carrboro, and we're working to make Chapel Hill and Carrboro more vibrant, accessible, fun, and sustainable.  Please consider a small donation to help us keep our digital lights on, host events, and hire students to do data deep-dives.

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