We are so excited- and not too busy to hide it!
Which says a lot because we really are quite busy. Busy seeking opportunities, building programs, and growing our network. All to be better for you, Verified News Community.
And guess what? 5+ years of hard work is really paying off in 2024. Take for instance the VNN’s latest win, of which we received notification just this afternoon: VNN has been named a Next Challenge Division Finalist!
Opportunities like these are all about building our social news media platform to better serve underrepresented communities, particularly those here in Indian Country.
Learn more about The Next Challenge Power Platform Division here.
This is one of many growth opportunities VNN has secured this year.
2024 began with our acceptance into the Builders + Backers 2024 Stepping Stones program in partnership with Heartland Forward, which helps businesses like ours with training and development for long-term success and expansion.
VNN Director Brittany Harlow traveled to Bentonville, Arkansas, in January for the program kickoff. As part of this program, VNN received a $25,000 non-dilutive grant and will continue to receive personalized business support for the entire year.
Fun Fact: Builders + Backers is accepting applications for their next cohort, including those from Tulsa! You can apply here.
Additionally, VNN kicked off its first Citizen Journalism Cohort in January. From January through March, we taught underrepresented community members from across the State of Oklahoma media literacy and best journalism practices to empower them to report local news. The program was made possible by a $15,000 grant from the Oklahoma Media Center.
Learn more about our first Citizen Journalism Cohort here.
One month later, VNN was accepted into and began the Advancing Democracy Fellowship.
This fellowship is a collaboration between Solutions Journalism Network, Hearken, and Trusting News. VNN Oklahoma is receiving $5,000 in financial support and months of training produce better election coverage for our Native community members.
Check out VNN Oklahoma’s Election Coverage Mission Statement and FAQs here.
VNN was also recently accepted into the Transformation Tech Program, which began on April 10th. The program will allow VNN to receive up to $20,000 to further digital revenue opportunities.
We became eligible to apply for the grant after being accepted into the Association for Alternative News Media (AAN).
Finally, our community partners and other supporters are also helping to turn the tide for VNN Indigenous initiatives in a BIG way. We are looking forward to announcing the sponsors who have already committed to the “Indigenous Roots: Navigating Indian Country History” Intertribal Symposium we are helping to facilitate this July.
Registration will open next month for this incredible event, which will provide local resources, share Allotment Era research and reporting, and provide insights from legal and genealogy experts.
Osage News, Mvskoke Media, and representatives from Absentee Shawnee Tribe have already committed to attend.
And Tulsa City-County Library will also be in attendance for another BIG announcement that will benefit people on the Muscogee Creek Nation Reservation, Tulsa, and beyond.
Thank you for taking some time to catch up on these exciting new opportunities. It’s amazing what we can accomplish together.