planetforward.org

What It Is

Planet Forward is an environmental storytelling project hosted by the George Washington University School of Media and Public Affairs. Founded in 2009 by Emmy Award-winning journalist Frank Sesno, it is not a typical MOOC platform, but rather a publishing, training, mentorship, and events network built around student environmental journalism, science communication, and sustainability storytelling.

Core Experience

The platform encourages college students to submit stories about environmental innovation and solutions in formats including articles, videos, photo stories, audio, podcasts, art, and more. Before publication, the editorial team communicates with authors about any necessary revisions. The Correspondent Program is a more in-depth, year-long cohort program in which students create and publish four stories over the course of an academic year, with access to more intensive mentorship, webinars/trainings, and the opportunity to attend the Planet Forward Summit at the end of the academic year. Other offerings include Storyfest, an annual environmental storytelling competition; How-To Guides; classroom resources for educators; virtual classroom visits; a university consortium; and experiential learning grants.

Pricing and Certificates

The collected text does not disclose course fees, membership fees, or summit registration costs, nor does it indicate that certificates or credentials are provided upon completion. The clearly stated funding information concerns the Experiential Learning Fund: eligible students enrolled at Planet Forward Pillar Schools may apply for grants ranging from $500 to $4,000 to support travel and story production.

Pros and Cons

Its strengths are strong institutional backing, a focused theme, and the ability to turn “learning” directly into publicly published work, editorial feedback, and a professional network. For students aiming to enter environmental communication, media, policy, or sustainability fields, its portfolio value is clear. The drawbacks are that its learning path is less clearly structured than a formal course, many programs require applications or student status, and key information such as certificates, pricing, and support responsiveness is limited. It is also primarily an English-language environment.

Who It’s For

It is best suited to current college students, student journalists, students majoring in environmental science/policy/communication, and learners who want to turn sustainability topics into multimedia work. University instructors can also use its resources for classroom collaboration. It is less suitable for those who simply want to quickly obtain a Chinese-language certificate course or a systematic exam-oriented course.

Access from China

The source text does not provide information on access from mainland China, so this is considered unknown. The site’s content and activities are mainly in English, and users in China should also consider language, time zone differences, and the accessibility of some external video platforms.