The Blade Foundation is proud to support two fellowships each year focused on educating and supporting the next generation of LGBTQ jounalists. Fellowships typically run for 12 weeks May thru August and come with a $2,000 stipend.
Read more on Reporting on DC-Area LGBTQ issues and The Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship below. For any questions or how to support these fellowships, please email fellowships@bladefoundation.org
Reporting on DC Area LGBTQ Issues Fellowship: The Reporting on DC Area LGBTQ Issues Fellowship focuses on local news, crime and politics reporting, and feature writing about city issues. This fellowship is funded by a generous grant from the DC Front Runners Pride Run Foundation. Stories are published in the Washington Blade and Los Angeles online and print editions.
The Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship: Founded in 2018, The Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship is named in honor of Steve Elkins, a journalist and co-founder of the CAMP Rehoboth LGBT community center. Elkins served as editor of Letters from CAMP Rehoboth in Delaware for many years as well as executive director of the center before his passing in March of 2018.
The fellow covers issues of interest to the LGBTQ community of Delaware for 12 weeks during the summer months. Stories include coverage of legislative and political issues out of Dover; LGBTQ business issues in Wilmington; the summer beach season in Rehoboth and more. Stories are published in the Washington Blade and Los Angeles online and print editions.
2021 Fellowships
Prince Chingarande, an incoming fall 2021 graduate student at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism, will start a fellowship on May 3 focused on covering issues of interest to D.C.’s LGBTQ community. Chingarande earned a bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Columbia College in Columbia, Mo., in May 2020.
The second fellowship went to Esther Frances, who is the recipient of the third Blade Foundation Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship. She will cover issues of interest to Delaware’s LGBTQ community.
2020 Fellowship
The second Blade Foundation - Steve Elkins Memorial Fellowship went to Joshua Keller during the summer of 2020. Joshua was born and raised in Northern Virginia and is an undergraduate student at Washington University in St. Louis studying urban affairs, religion and politics. Some of his interests include the development of Tysons Corner and all forms of sport. Click here to read his stories.
2019 Fellowship
The inaugural fellowship was awarded to Blake Chambers, a Dover resident and 2017 graduate of the University of Delaware. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and journalism and occupied the position from May 21-Aug. 12, 2018. Click here to view the stories written by Chambers during the time of his fellowship.