Student Cohort Creates Multimedia Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, D.C.

July 28, 2026 - Features

by AJ Moser | Pizza and Politics Coordinator

The University of Kansas student cohort and sponsors gather for a group photo. Photo courtesy of CSIS.

Over spring break, a cohort of KU School of Journalism and Mass Communications students and Dole Institute Student Advisory Board members attended a week-long, fully funded journalism bootcamp in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a prominent bipartisan policy think tank. The group of ten students gained hands-on experience working with experts to create a multimedia journalism project on an international topic of their choice.

Students were competitively selected by a panel of judges, and represented multiple disciplines, including multimedia journalism, digital marketing communications, political science, and global and international studies.  

In the weeks leading up to the program, students engaged in discussions and research, narrowing down their focus to gender-based violence. During the initial days of bootcamp, the cohort finalized their overarching topic, focusing on how two first-time female heads of state – Italy’s Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, and Mexico’s President Claudia Sheinbaum – tackle the issue of gender-based violence in their countries. 

Members of the video team brainstorm ideas for their story. Photo courtesy of CSIS.

While in Washington, the cohort engaged with experts in international women’s rights, feminist foreign policy, and the politics of Mexico and Italy. Students also had the opportunity to prepare questions for a press conference, pulling quotes and video clips for their respective elements.  

 Students were divided into four different teams overseen by a mentor:

• The story and web design team wrote a 2,000-word story that served as an overarching framework and designed the webpage where the entire project was displayed.  

• The audio team created a podcast that investigated how each leader interacts with feminism.  

• The video production team created a video story about how grassroots movements in Mexico have influenced policy efforts to combat gender-based violence.  

• The data visualization team created graphics and provided statistics that enhanced the stories.  

Members of the audio team sort through transcripts with their mentor. Photo courtesy of CSIS.

The teams came together for editorial sessions and for larger workshops, but as the week progressed, they fine-tuned the individual elements of their project.  

In addition to the three interviews set up by CSIS, the audio, video, and story teams each reached out to other experts, expanding the nuance of their stories. The bootcamp wrapped up on Friday, when the students presented their final project to members of CSIS.  

KU student Brynn Bertie showcases the web design at the final presentation. Photo Courtesy of CSIS.

This opportunity was made possible in collaboration with the University of Kansas School of Journalism and Mass Communications and the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and was made possible with the generous support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation and the Simons Family Fund. 

AJ Moser is the Pizza and Politics Coordinator at the Dole Institute of Politics. In her role, AJ hosts discussions with local experts to promote civic discussion and political engagement at the University of Kansas. She is a junior studying political science, environmental studies, and global and international studies. AJ is planning to continue her education in graduate school.

About the Dole Institute
The Robert J. Dole Institute of Politics, a vibrant forum for civil discourse, civic engagement, and idea exchange across the political spectrum, features historical archives, exhibits, and public programs for all ages. Inspired by the public service of native Kansan, veteran, legislator, and statesman Senator Bob Dole and his wife Senator Elizabeth Dole, visitor galleries feature changing exhibits, the Kansas Veterans Virtual Memory Wall, architectural-scale stained glass American flag, and September 11 memorial.