Are you a passionate early-career journalist or storyteller from the Global South with a strong desire to create impactful stories on global health and development? The CNN Academy Training Program 2025 offers a fully-funded opportunity to hone your skills, gain global exposure, and tell the stories that matter most.
Applications are now open, and the deadline to apply is June 23, 2025.
What Is the CNN Academy Training Program 2025?
The CNN Academy Training Program 2025, also known as Voices from the South: Storytelling for Impact, is a two-phase, intensive training and mentorship opportunity for journalists, content creators, and storytellers from countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia, and the Pacific.
This initiative, powered by CNN Academy and supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, seeks to amplify underrepresented voices and promote more inclusive narratives around global health, development, and social impact.
Program Highlights
🧑🏫 Phase One: Online Learning (July – October 1, 2025)
- Access to the CNN Academy Hub for self-paced and instructor-led courses
- Topics include:
- Global health and development reporting
- Mobile journalism techniques
- Story development and narrative structure
- Media ethics and AI
- Participants must earn course badges and submit a story pitch to advance to Phase Two
✈️ Phase Two: In-Person Simulation in Abu Dhabi (November 2025)
- All-expenses-paid trip to Abu Dhabi for an immersive, real-time reporting simulation
- Mobile journalism workshops with CNN mentors
- Focused on global health coverage under high-pressure conditions
- Select stories may be featured on CNN’s platforms
Who Can Apply?
To qualify, applicants must:
- Be an early-career journalist, content creator, or storyteller
- Live and work in a country within the Global South
- Have a demonstrable portfolio of journalistic or storytelling work
- Speak and write English proficiently
- Be able and willing to travel to Abu Dhabi in November 2025
Application Process
✅ Step-by-Step Guide to Apply
- Complete the Online Application
Click here to apply now (Deadline: June 23, 2025)
Provide basic information, motivation, and eligibility proof. - Engage in Online Training
If selected, you’ll begin your coursework via the CNN Academy Hub. Complete all modules and submit a compelling story pitch to be considered for the in-person simulation. - Submit Supporting Materials
If advancing to Phase Two, you’ll need to submit:- Samples of your work
- Proof of residency/origin in a Global South country
- Final version of your story pitch
For more information, read the full program details here.
Expert Tips from GrantsDatabase.org
“When applying for competitive programs like the CNN Academy Training Program 2025, your story pitch and portfolio must clearly demonstrate your potential to produce high-impact journalism. Focus on storytelling with depth, relevance, and a strong narrative arc.”
— GrantsDatabase.org Expert Team
We recommend applicants:
- Craft a story idea focused on a pressing global health issue in your community
- Showcase past work that aligns with CNN’s editorial standards
- Use data and human stories to anchor your proposal
- Rehearse your pitch presentation skills, especially for the simulation round
Need help developing your pitch? Contact grantsdatabase.org for proposal drafting, refining, and review.
Why You Should Apply
This is more than a media fellowship — it’s a chance to:
- Work alongside CNN’s global team
- Get your story on an international platform
- Develop cutting-edge mobile journalism skills
- Be part of a growing network of changemakers across the Global South
With full travel and accommodation covered, the CNN Academy Training Program 2025 is a rare and prestigious opportunity to elevate your voice and career.
Don’t Wait — Apply by June 23, 2025
Take the next step in your storytelling journey today. Apply here now, and transform your narrative into a global story.
Have questions or need professional guidance? Contact grantsdatabase.org for proposal drafting, refining, and review.
