Plastics, Pollution and PFAS– Oh My!
Applications for the 2026 Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists will open on January 15, 2026.
2026 Workshop Dates:
Sunday, June 21-Friday, June 26, 2026 (Departure: Saturday June 27, 2026)
Held at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI
Join us for our next Annual Science Immersion Workshop, an engaging and hands-on learning experience focused on one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time: plastics, pollution, and PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances).
This immersive workshop will explore how plastics are produced, used, and discarded—and how their breakdown contributes to widespread environmental contamination. Participants will examine the pathways through which plastic pollution enters ecosystems, impacts wildlife and human health, and persists across generations. A special emphasis will be placed on PFAS, often called “forever chemicals,” to understand their chemical properties, where they are found, why they persist in the environment, and the growing concerns around their health effects.
The 2026 Workshop will be conducted in person at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston, RI on June 21-26, with supplementary asynchronous preparation.
The Fellows also:
- Gain a deeper understanding of how scientists conduct research and handle scientific uncertainty.
- Develop the skills and confidence to interpret and translate the language of scientific journals for news audiences
- Build confidence in their abilities to discern the credibility of scientific sources
- Discover new ways to write about water systems and climate change to build audience understanding and engagement
- Cultivate new sources by interacting with leading researchers and policy experts in an informal, off-deadline atmosphere
- Network and develop lasting relationships with journalists from a wide range of media and backgrounds
As a result of participating in the Annual Science Immersion Workshop, Fellows will:
- Be able to identify important climate change and environmental stories that are relevant to their news audiences.
- Understand how academic scientists plan, fund, conduct, and publish their research
- Be better prepared to understand and communicate scientific uncertainty
- Be better prepared to translate scientific findings for news audiences
- Recognize and understand the interactions between climate change, the environment, and society, and how climate change disproportionately affects communities of color and low-income communities.
Thanks to Metcalf Institute’s endowment and the generosity of private donors, the fellowships include full tuition, lodging, meals, as well as a travel stipend paid after travel.
Application Opens January 15, 2026View Previous Annual Science Immersion Workshops:
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