Crosswinds News Invites Community Members to Apply for StoryKeepers Training Program
(TVLSE, Okla.) Crosswinds News is inviting community members across northeast Oklahoma to apply for StoryKeepers, a training program that supports Native-focused reporting through self-paced learning, hands-on practice, and editorial mentorship.
Building off of the Citizen Journalism Pilot Program created in 2023, StoryKeepers will offer paid training and support to two cohorts this year.
The StoryKeepers curriculum is being developed by Dr. Rosemary Avance, Assistant Professor of Media and Strategic Communications at Oklahoma State University and Managing Editor for Crosswinds News.
StoryKeepers Cohort 1 will run from March through May 2026, requiring an average time commitment of three hours per week for ten weeks. The program begins in mid-March with eight weeks of self-paced online (or print) learning focused on storytelling skills, media ethics, and multimedia production. Additional in-person workshops will be offered to allow participants to engage directly with mentors and peers.
The need for continuing this work is reinforced by positive experiences from alumni of the Citizen Journalism Program.
Whitney Pingleton, a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and Yuchi and Cherokee descendant, said her experience in the Citizen Journalism Program helped lead to her current position with the Muscogee (Creek) Nation.
“The story that I wrote a couple of years back was actually used as a reference in my current position,” said Pingleton. “That story provided me with credibility to help my tribe. I honestly had no idea that so many people read it. I learned a new form of writing and how powerful it can be to publish a story.”
Trista Vaughn (United Keetoowah Band, Hualapai and Chickasaw) is the Community Engagement and Cultural Coordinator for Crosswinds News. After auditing the pilot program in 2023 as a senior journalist for Crosswinds, Vaughn said watching lived experience resonate in storytelling was deeply impactful.
“What stood out to me was how quickly people stepped into their voices when they were given support, structure, and permission to tell stories from their lived experience,” said Vaughn. “The most valuable part was the mentorship and confidence building.”
Based on feedback from the pilot program, StoryKeepers will also include training designed to build confidence in multimedia skills such as graphic design, podcasting, and video.
“For Native youth especially, these formats feel natural,” said Vaughn. “Multimedia also helps the story feel more human. You can hear someone’s voice, see where they’re from, and feel the reality behind the issue, whether we’re talking about water, health, climate, or tech.”
A second cohort will begin in August, focused on a collaboration between Native youth and American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) to produce science and technology reporting.
“This project creates a real pathway for Native youth to learn multimedia storytelling, work alongside STEM professionals, and produce stories that connect science with Native perspectives,” said Vaughn. “These local science and policy issues are not abstract. They affect Native lands, Native health, and sovereignty.”
After the program, StoryKeepers participants will present their work at a community event.
“I believe that people are more likely to listen to community members because there is no motive stemming from a major network like ABC, FOX, etc.,” said Pingleton. “This program gives community members a voice as their superpower, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to produce high-quality news, conduct research, advocate, and publish their stories.”
Crosswinds StoryKeepers Cohort 1 and 2 are made possible by two grants, the 2025 Native Voices Rising grant and the 2025 Civic Science Media Collaborations program.
Interested in joining Crosswinds StoryKeepers Cohort 1? Apply here.
The application deadline for Cohort 1 is 11:59 PM on February 15, 2026. Applicants will be notified of selection decisions by February 27, 2026.
