Metcalf Institute is a global leader in professional development training and programs for public audiences, benefitting more than 3200 journalists, scientists, and science communicators, as well as their audiences, since 1998.
Our proven training model has a significant multiplier effect, helping millions of news consumers worldwide access accurate, contextual environmental news coverage that relates environmental science and environmental justice to daily lives and sparking essential conversations that address these complex issues.
Metcalf Institute integrates this work across the University of Rhode Island as well as beyond the university.
In all our programs, Metcalf Institute advocates for and amplifies marginalized and underrepresented voices in science, journalism, and science communication. We build and support an international network of science communicators via the biennial Inclusive SciComm Symposium to prioritize inclusion, equity and intersectionality and dismantle the legacies of racism and exclusion in these professions.
Mission
Metcalf Institute provides education, training and resources to journalists, scientists and science communicators across career stages with the aim of engaging diverse public audiences in evidence-based conversations about science and the environment. We approach this mission with a focus on equity and inclusion, so that all perspectives are valued in the process of identifying and solving environmental challenges.
Vision
Metcalf Institute envisions robust public discourse about environmental challenges and solutions that incorporate evidence and justice. The perspectives and experiences of Metcalf Institute alumni combined with the knowledge, skills and confidence gained from Metcalf training and network-building, will seed and advance equitable environmental protection.
People
What We Do
- InclusiveSciComm Symposium
- Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists
- Webinars and public lectures on climate change, environmental issues and science communication
- Science communication workshops for researchers and other science communicators
- Science Seminars for Journalists
- Peter B. Lord Seminars on the Environment
URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences
Metcalf Institute is a program within URI’s College of the Environment and Life Sciences, a leader in the environmental and life sciences, environmental economics and management, marine policy, and informal environmental education.
Student Opportunities
URI students play a vital role in helping Metcalf Institute reach its objectives and operate efficiently. Metcalf offers a variety of internship and employment opportunities that provide hands-on experience in a professional environment. Learn more.
Funding and Support
Metcalf Institute was established with an endowment at the URI Foundation in 1997 and named in honor of Michael P. Metcalf, the late publisher of The Providence Journal, who was known for his integrity, vision, and high standards for journalism. Additional funding was provided by the Telaka Foundation in 1998.
In addition to this modest endowment and partial support from the URI College of the Environment and Life Sciences, Metcalf programs and resources are underwritten by public and private foundations and by private donations managed by the University of Rhode Island Foundation & Alumni Engagement, a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable corporation.