CAS Internship & Experiential Learning Program

All three audio storytelling courses focus on similar skills: how to tell compelling, true stories using sound.

(You can take all three courses, but if you do, we suggest taking them in different semesters.)

In all courses you will:

• Record interviews and active tape using professional audio recording equipment (Zoom H5, Sennheiser MD-42 and more)
• Mix stories using professional audio editing software (Adobe Audition)
• Identify nonfiction story ideas
• Conduct compelling interviews with multiple people
• Discuss, follow and question journalistic and documentary storytelling ethics
• Write, edit, and fact-check scripts
• Work effectively with an editor
• Produce 2-3 nonfiction audio stories from start to finish

This course is a broad introduction to the basics of telling true stories in sound. It’s housed in the UVM Film and Television Studies and Reporting and Documentary Storytelling programs.

What makes this course great: You get to experiment with creative nonfiction audio storytelling. Your stories will be published on a class website, but because they’re not news stories for Vermont Public, you have more flexibility in what you can create.

What you’ll make:

• A one-minute audio profile of a classmate
• A 30-second sonic ID (Examples)
• A two-minute audio postcard (Examples: Adirondack Mountains; Live-building a violin; Comic Con)
• A four-minute non-narrated audio profile (Examples: 30 Years and Still Stepping; Buck, Naked; A doula delivers hope)

Prerequisites and restrictions: FTS and RDS majors/minors only for the first week of registration. Prerequisites enforced by the system: FTS 1400, or FTS 1420, or FTS 1430. All prerequisites and restrictions can be overridden with instructor permission. Email Kelsey at kkupfere@uvm.edu with a note about why you’d like to take this course.

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This course is an introduction to producing audio news stories for Vermont Public, our local NPR news radio station. It is housed within the College of Arts and Sciences internship program.

What makes this course great: Your final project — an audio news feature story — will broadcast on the radio, reaching tens of thousands of Vermont Public listeners across the region. You’ll work with Vermont Public staff and editors, and your work in this class will directly influence our community and the news they receive.

What you’ll make:

• A one-minute audio profile of a classmate
• A two-minute audio postcard
  • Examples: Adirondack Mountains; Live-building a violin; Comic Con
• A four-minute audio feature story
  • Examples: On the last day of Vt.’s hot air balloon season, late ballooning giant Brian Boland looms large by Samantha Watson; How a multi-billion dollar federal investment in climate-smart ag might benefit Vt. farmers by Rachel Tobler; Vermont allows people who are incarcerated to vote. Data shows they don’t by Mae Nagusky

Prerequisites and restrictions: This course requires at least sophomore standing to register. There are no other prerequisites.

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This is a PAID production internship with Vermont Public, our local NPR news radio station.

What makes this internship great: Interns support the production of daily news and podcasts at Vermont Public. They work with the Vermont Public newsroom, Brave Little State, and Vermont Edition as producers. Their work includes pitching story ideas, field reporting, producing spot and feature stories, producing podcast and daily show segments, booking interviews, logging and cutting tape, researching and fact checking, writing and publishing web pieces, producing social media content, and more.

For more information, see the Vermont Public UVM Production Intern job description (updated 10/18/2024).

Application due date: Priority application deadline for the spring semester 2025 internship is November 10, 2024 at 11:59 PM ET. The final deadline is November 18, 2024 at 8:00 AM ET.

Prerequisites and restrictions: Any UVM student (undergrad or graduate) studying journalism, media, communication or with an interest in public media journalism are eligible. Previous experience with journalistic reporting and audio production strongly preferred. Must be authorized to work in the United States.

Compensation: Interns earn $17 per hour for up to 300 hours or $5,000.

Internship dates: Each internship is one semester (16 weeks) long. Vermont Public will host two interns in the fall, in the spring, and in the summer, for a total of six interns per year.

Apply now: https://forms.gle/SLzoiHqY5K4JEBje8

Vermont Public is home to Vermont’s public radio (NPR) and public television (PBS) stations. Vermont Public’s award-winning newsroom produces local news and educational programming, serving Vermont with trusted, relevant and essential information.

Vermont Public’s local and national programs are broadly available for free on statewide radio and television broadcast networks, digital platforms, social media and in communities throughout the region.

Vermont Public was created in 2021 when Vermont Public Radio and Vermont PBS merged into a unified public media organization.

Vermont Public is an independent, locally owned and operated community licensee, which means that their license is owned by the community, not a governmental agency. Vermont Public’s primary source of funding — more than half — comes from more than 40,000 members making donations in all amounts.

No!

Both audio storytelling courses require no previous journalism or audio experience to be successful. In fact, we love students who are brand new to the audio game. We’ll teach you everything you need to know.

We’re looking for students who are curious, engaged in their communities, love to write, love to meet new people, and are excited about telling true stories using sound.

If you do have previous audio and journalism experience, these courses will support you as you continue to experiment and grow your skills.

The FTS 2605: Audio Storytelling course has some course prerequisites, and CAS 3922 C: Audio Storytelling with Vermont Public requires sophomore standing. All prerequisites and restrictions can be overridden with instructor permission. Email Kelsey at kkupfere@uvm.edu with a note about why you’d like to take this course.

The paid internship does require previous experience.

Yes! These courses are a collaboration between The University of Vermont’s College of Arts and Science, the University of Vermont’s Reporting & Documentary Storytelling program, Vermont Public, and the Center for Community News.

The Center for Community News is a University of Vermont program that supports partnerships between local newsrooms and college students across the country.

Yes! There are many radio producers who are Deaf and/or hard of hearing, including NPR’s Mary Louise Kelly.

There are exciting innovations in the ASL and radio space, including Connecticut Public’s show Radio for the Deaf, subtitled multilingual audio projects from Radio Atlas, and this student-produced radio story about Deaf theater that’s captioned in English and ASL.

It’s critically important that our newsrooms reflect our community. In this class, we use several guides, including Disability Matters: A tool kit for newsrooms to better serve the disability community to build and maintain an equitable learning environment.

Got questions and ideas? Email instructor Kelsey at kkupfere@uvm.edu to talk about what’s possible.

Probably! Email Kelsey at kkupfere@uvm.edu to set up a time to chat.