CANTON – A free public workshop will be held at St. Lawrence University Sept. 21 and 22 to provide North Country residents training for conducting independent, investigative journalism projects in their communities.

The workshop is hosted by Weave News (WeaveNews.org), a global community of citizen journalists.

The event is part of the St. Lawrence Citizen Journalism Incubator (SLCJI), a collaboration among four organizations that bring a range of professional, citizen journalism, and citizen science experience to the project: Weave News, North Country Public Radio, The Hill News, and Nature Up North.

The SLCJI’s public workshop will feature presentations and training sessions led by outside experts and members of the organizations. Attendees will also have the chance to learn about ongoing citizen journalism projects led by local individuals who have been selected as part of the first cohort of SLCJI Investigative Storytellers.

The entire event is open to the public and free of charge, thanks to funding from a St. Lawrence University Innovation Grant.

“We are especially excited to showcase the work of our Investigative Storytellers on topics ranging from the challenges facing local farmers to the local impact of climate change to the problems associated with mass incarceration,” notes John Collins, founder and Director of Development for Weave News. “These storytellers will benefit immensely from the valuable feedback that workshop attendees can provide.”

Training session topics at the workshop include: Citizen Journalism 101, Using Video for Community Storytelling, Environmental and Science Reporting, and more. The workshops are geared towards the fundamental tools and practices of journalism, so that citizens of all backgrounds and experiences may participate in the community as citizen journalists. The Friday evening keynote lecture and Saturday morning plenary workshop will be given by Fiona Morgan, a freelance consultant based in Durham, North Carolina. Her company, Branchhead Consulting, works to strengthen local media ecosystems and she most recently led the journalism program at Free Press, a nonpartisan nonprofit advocacy organization.

All sessions, including the keynote lecture, will be held in the Eben Holden Conference Center on the campus of St. Lawrence University.

The deadline for registration is Tuesday, Sept. 18.

To register, and for more information, visit www.weavenews.org/incubator.