Vermont Public and the University of Vermont have announced an expanded internship program to provide hands-on learning opportunities to students while enhancing Vermont Public’s local news coverage.
The program will train students in all aspects of a media organization—including reporting, research, communications and marketing. By hosting 20 interns over the first four years, Vermont Public will strengthen its public service by producing more local journalism. It will also deliver on its strategic plan to serve a broader and more diverse audience by amplifying stories from those underrepresented in traditional media.
Brittany Patterson, Vermont Public’s executive editor, has been working with UVM students since 2022, which paved the way for the internship program. “This partnership is a win for everyone,” she said. “For students, it will provide an immersive experience that opens doors to a range of meaningful careers, and our audience hears and sees stories they’d never find otherwise. It’s inspiring to work with students and train the next generation of public media journalists and professionals.”
UVM and Vermont Public have hired a new faculty member to oversee the program and teach audio storytelling courses. Kelsey Tolchin-Kupferer is a teacher and audio producer from Columbia, Missouri, who previously led youth media programs at two NPR member stations and a nonfiction film festival.
“I’m thrilled to be part of the growing collaboration between Vermont Public and the University of Vermont,” Tolchin-Kupferer said. “Investing in the next generation of journalists is crucial for the future of public radio. Young journalists have different ideas, perspectives, knowledge, and access than their older peers, and their stories have the power to reach new audiences, more accurately reflect our region on-air, and shape the very sound of public radio.”
Vermont Public and UVM will share the cost of the program, each committing to raise $250,000 over four years in philanthropic gifts.
The expansion stems from a successful partnership between the two organizations, which began in 2022 via UVM’s Community News Service (CNS). The CNS is a student-powered partnership between UVM and media outlets across Vermont, pairing student reporters with a professional editor to provide critical reporting to local news outlets. Vermont Public journalists have served as adjunct faculty for several years, teaching audio storytelling. To date, 47 student stories have been published by Vermont Public.
"This partnership between Vermont Public and UVM will allow us to draw on the breadth of expertise and resources of both institutions to produce trustworthy news for Vermonters," said Richard Watts, director of the nationally-facing Center for Community News at UVM, which officially launched earlier this year. "It's a model for what's possible when university reporting programs team up with their local public media stations to better serve their communities."
