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OpEd Project offers opportunity to strengthen writing effectiveness; workshop applications now being accepted

The Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center and the Provost’s Office for Inclusive Excellence invite Vanderbilt faculty, graduate and professional students, postdoctoral fellows and staff to apply for an upcoming two-day workshop to be conducted virtually by the OpEd Project.

OpEd ProjectThe nonprofit OpEd Project is a social venture founded to increase the range of voices and quality of ideas in public discourse. In particular, the OpEd Project is committed to increasing the number of women thought leaders contributing to key public forums through their writing.

The two-day workshop, “Write to Change the World,” will explore the source of credibility and how to establish it; how to present ideas quickly and powerfully under pressure; the components of powerful, evidence-based argument; the difference between being “right” and being effective; and strategies for making a greater impact in print, including how to escape a pigeonhole, how to preach beyond the choir, and how to frame an argument as part of a bigger picture—as well as positioning oneself as part of a larger public conversation. Participants will leave with an outline of an op-ed in hand and access to OpEd Project journalist-mentors for individual followup.

The workshop dates are Monday, May 17, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CT, and Tuesday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. CT.

The application is available here. Please note, only those who can attend the entire two-day workshop will be eligible for a spot. The deadline to apply is Friday, April 23.

Notifications of acceptance will be issued by Monday, May 3.

Questions? Please email Brianna Nesbitt, assistant director of the Women’s Center, at brianna.nesbitt@vanderbilt.edu.