Kayla Christopherson Email and Phone Number

As a consultant, I support the development of their online database, the Solutions Story Tracker. I source and vet potential solutions journalism stories from local, national, and global news publications and complete data entry in the development of a new database.As a Story Fellow, I reviewed and vetted criminal justice solutions journalism—rigorous reporting on responses to social issues. My role included determining whether submitted pieces fit the qualifications for solutions journalism, curating collections on trends in criminal justice reform, and collaborating with staff to create a framework for innovative storytelling and responses.

My work centered on providing support for journalists and news organizations as they learned and applied systems thinking to their reporting. This included curriculum development, stakeholder outreach & engagement, designing and facilitating over 25 workshops on systems thinking, organizational resilience, and power redistribution, and systems change collaborations with news organizations like El Tímpano and the Baltimore Sun. I also led the development of an open-source, online systems thinking toolkit (https://www.systems.journalismdesign.com) for journalists and editors.Leading operations and project management, I oversaw: grant management and monitoring, writing grant reports, designing and leading our team’s emergent evaluation and learning strategy, creating workflows, coordinating in-person and virtual event logistics, and administrative tasks. I also collaborated with designers, journalists, and changemakers on the Wicked Problem Task Force (http://wickedproblemtaskforce.com) to understand the current crisis of the free press—facilitating systems mapping sessions, impact analysis, and research synthesis.

As graduate fellow, I wrote and edited website brief, articles, and grant application, assisted in meetings with Congressional staff, and created advocacy and communications materials. With a organizational focus on building and sustaining a network of people-to-people peacebuilding organizations, I also collected and organized member information and developed member surveys.

- Facilitated participatory mapping session- Development of communication materials to bolster community engagement- Worked with staff to improve programming- Observed programs and partners programs

Time spent there was split between two departments:1. Enkululekweni Wellness Centre, located in the township of Khayelitsha - Aided in the running of health seminars on mental health, dental health, and women's health - Met with local community representatives to develop sustainable development strategies2. Main office: - Completed transference and re-organization of all past and present donors. - Met with other NGOs, founders, and activists in the Greater Cape Town area. - Wrote briefs to prospective donors in regards to female empowerment within Ikamva Labantu. - Efficiently completed office work such as filing and copying, as needed.