Firsthand Pitch Submission

The Bell is looking for rising sophomores, juniors and seniors in public or charter schools across the United States who have ideas for audio, visual or written stories about what’s happening in their schools.

Please read the full guidelines very carefully before submitting your pitch.

Story pitches will be considered on a rolling basis.

We recommend that you write your responses in a separate document and then paste them into this application. Ensure that your responses meet the required length.

If you have questions not answered on our website, contact us at firsthand@bellvoices.org. 

Email *
First name *
Last name *
Pronouns *
Required
Date of birth *
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Expected high school graduation year *
Where do you live? (city, state, zip) *
What high school do you attend? *
Adult sponsor name and role *
Please provide the name and role of an adult teacher, advisor, counselor or mentor who we can contact. This person should not be a relative.
Ex: Jane Doe, guidance counselor
Adult sponsor's email address *
Your Pitch
Which Firsthand theme does your story relate to? *
Every pitch should connect to one of the five Firsthand story themes. You can find more detail on these themes at bellvoices.org/firsthand.
Tell us your story idea and why it matters. (2-3 sentences) *
Ex: A group of students launched a new phone-free club, and it quickly became one of the most popular in the school. As schools nationwide debate the role of technology in the classroom, many teens are pushing back and seeking new (old) ways to connect.
How does your story connect to the bigger picture of what high school students are experiencing today? (200 words or fewer) *
Tell us how your story idea connects to the theme you chose.
How will your story differ from existing reporting on this issue? (100 words or fewer) *
What new information or perspectives will your story add to existing understanding of the issue?
Identify 3 potential sources you would interview for this story. *
Consider different perspectives. For example: a fellow student, a teacher/administrator, and a community expert. Include the names and titles of specific people who you believe have something interest to say and who you can access.
What format(s) do you envision for this piece? *
Think about the most impactful format for your story and the format you feel most confident in executing.
Required
What visual elements (photos, graphics, data visualization) might this story include? *
(Optional) If you've already done some reporting or pre-reporting on this issue, tell us about it here.
About you
Brief bio (100 words or fewer) *
Tell us about any prior journalism experience you have. If you don't have prior journalism experience, tell us why you're interested in journalism. (100 words or fewer) *
Writing sample: Please paste the link to a piece of writing that you're proud of. *
This could be a published story, but it doesn't need to be. It could be a school assignment. If you're sharing an unpublished file, be sure to enable "view-only" access.
(Optional) Multimedia work sample
If you're pitching a story that includes multimedia elements (audio, video, photo), share the link to an additional work sample in that medium.
How did you hear about Firsthand? *
Anything else we should know?
A copy of your responses will be emailed to .
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