We Are Giving Student Journalists A Platform
Since 2019, the Tulsa non-profit Center for Public Secrets has had a commitment to nurture the next generation of “History Recovery Specialists” in the Tulsa community. We fulfill our mission by publishing narrative-driven non-fiction articles, films, and podcasts on our website
As Tulsa’s position in the national discourse grows, we as a community need to elevate the voices of young people who will inherit our city. With that in mind, we are introducing the CfPS Student Research Project.
THE IDEA
We want to identify, edit, and publish student-written research papers on Oklahoma, and specifically Tulsa history, online and in print. Our mission is to develop the next generation of history-recovery specialists that are committed to bringing hidden, neglected, and misunderstood stories into the light.
WHO IS INVOLVED?
The project is co-lead by Dr. Brian Hosmer, Head of the History Dept. at Oklahoma State University who will serve as Editor, and Stuart Hetherwood, Partner and Head of Strategy at Well-Told who will be administering the project. Both serve on the Board of Directors for the Center for Public Secrets. Additionally, Portlyn Houghton-Harjo will be serving as an editorial mentor for students whose work is selected for publishing.
WHY NOW?
As the media landscape changes, CfPS is positioned to provide a critical service to the public– personal essays written with a sense of place. As part of that, it is vital give young people a seat at the table within the discourse about Tulsa’s past. The Student Research Project is a way to solve these problems while also providing students with a valuable publishing opportunity they may add to their resumes.
WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR?
We are interested in submissions of non-fiction student essays, research papers, or multimedia presentations focused on researching and discovering the hidden, neglected, or misunderstood history of Tulsa, Oklahoma. This project is aimed at publishing the work of both High School students and college students in Oklahoma.
ARE OTHER TYPES OF WORK ELIGIBLE FOR SUBMISSION?
Yes, we are open to submissions of work that include photography, audio, or video as long as it is narrative non-fiction that researches Tulsa and Oklahoma history. Submissions must contain some amount of text that contextualizes the work for the audience, even if the primary medium is audio or visual.
THE PUBLISHING PROCESS
After submission, the peice will go through an initial review process with the project co-leads. If we decide to move forward with a submission, Dr. Hosmer will reach out to the student and their sponsor to discuss the editing process. Once edited. artwork to accompany the article will be created and the piece will be uploaded to the website. A preview of the article will be sent to the student, sponsor, and Dr. Hosmer for a final review. Once approved, the article will be published online. Further adaptation will be done for distribution in the CfPS Newsletter and on social media channels. If published, the student will receive a $100 honorarium for their work.