{"id":3995,"date":"2021-12-09T16:55:19","date_gmt":"2021-12-09T21:55:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/permafrostnet.ca\/?page_id=3995"},"modified":"2026-06-16T01:05:21","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T06:05:21","slug":"pitch-polish-blog-writing-course","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/permafrostnet.ca\/fr\/training\/pitch-polish-blog-writing-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Pitch & Polish science writing course"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Who is this course for?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The Pitch and Polish science writing course is being provided to NSERC PermafrostNet members by Science Borealis<\/a>, Canada’s premier digital science magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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I had never written for such a broad audience and I learned a lot about the writing and editing processes. Also it was awesome to be able to collaborate with professionals!<\/p>Previous trainee<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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What is the aim of this course?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The program will provide you with science communication tools and training to help you effectively share knowledge, communicate your research and convey information about the broader issues posed by permafrost to a variety of non-expert audiences through science writing. This course will enhance your skills in science writing and develop broader career skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The guidance was incredibly helpful. It made me pay a lot more attention to who my audience was and helped my piece be more accessible to the general public.<\/p>Previous trainee<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Dates de l\u2019\u00e9v\u00e9nement<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The program will run from 28 January to 11 April 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Program description<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

In the Pitch & Polish Program trainees pitch their article ideas to the science writing mentor leading the program. Over the course of 10 weeks, the mentor helps the students refine their pitches and produce, polish, and publish their posts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trainees will receive feedback on their pitches as well as three rounds of one-on-one feedback on their submissions, and professional editing to ensure they can proudly add their post to their portfolio. The mentors are all seasoned, published science writers and editors who will set the bar high and ensure students successfully rise to the challenge. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Upon successful completion of the program, student posts will be submitted to the Managing Editor of the Borealis Blog. Science Borealis is the premier science blog site in Canada, featuring the Borealis blog while also being the largest aggregator of science blogs in Canada, syndicating over 130 member blogs covering topics from astronomy to zoology. Between January 1 and September 22, 2021, the Borealis Blog saw more than 330,000 unique page views from more than 260,000 users. Blog posts will be published within six months of completing the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I enjoyed the editing process: there was great communication back and forth between myself and the editor, which made me feel a lot more comfortable about the idea of publishing my writing.<\/p>Previous trainee<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Program schedule<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Week 1<\/strong> – January 24<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Group online session: meet the mentors and pitch instructions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 2 – January 31<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students submit pitches to mentor. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 3 –<\/strong> February 7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentor provides response to pitches. Students can request additional feedback.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 4 –<\/strong> February 14<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 5 –<\/strong> February 21<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students submit first draft of article. Deadline: Friday 25 February<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 6 –<\/strong> February 28<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentor provides feedback on first draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 7 –<\/strong> March 7-11<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentor offers two drop-in \u201coffice hour\u201d sessions where students can log in to discuss first draft feedback and any issues encountered in preparing second draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week <\/strong>8<\/strong> – March 14 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students submit second draft of article, including 2-4 images with captions and attribution and text for social media posts. Deadline: Friday 18 March<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 9<\/strong> – March 21 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentor provides feedback on second draft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 10 <\/strong>– March 28<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students submit third draft of article. Deadline: Friday 1 April<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 11<\/strong> – April 4 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mentor provides feedback on third draft,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week 12<\/strong> – April 11<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student & mentor finalize post with images (appropriate attribution and usage rights), any relevant social media usernames and hashtags, and related URLs. Deadline: Monday 11 April<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Application<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Applications for the program have now closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Who is delivering this course?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
\"Monique<\/div>

Monique Keiran<\/h3> Science Communicator<\/span><\/div>

Monique Keiran has been writing about and promoting science for more than 20 years. She has written about dinosaurs and other ancient critters for the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology, the birds and bees for Alberta Parks, all things forest-science related for the Canadian Forest Service, health policy for Alberta Health, and engineering and technology for Engineers and Geoscientists British Columbia. She has written a weekly column \u2013 usually on science topics \u2013 for the Victoria Times Colonist since 2012. She took on the role of managing editor of the Science Borealis Blog in 2017.<\/p><\/div>