Solutions Journalism Network (SJN) is a global nonprofit leading a shift in journalism toward rigorous, evidence-based reporting on how people are responding to social problems. Founded by David Bornstein, Tina Rosenberg, and Courtney Martin, SJN trains journalists, educators, and news organizations worldwide to practice solutions journalism through structured programs, academies, and toolkits — reaching a global network of reporters, university faculty, and students.

COURSE partnered with SJN and Ja'Nel Johnson-Phillips, Director of Training & Curriculum, to develop custom curriculum architecture and training program materials that scale SJN's proven training methodology across their expanding educational initiatives. Working directly with SJN's training team, we structured content that translates SJN's core journalism principles into repeatable, engaging learning experiences for diverse audiences — from HBCU educators and Black press newsrooms to university journalism programs and Train-the-Trainer cohorts.

The engagement focused on curriculum systematization and instructional design, packaging SJN's expertise into structured programs that maintain rigor and depth while scaling to thousands of journalists globally. Our work supports SJN's mission of expanding the practice of solutions journalism through education — helping them equip more reporters, educators, and newsrooms with the tools to cover responses to social problems with the same rigor traditionally reserved for problem reporting.

The result: a scalable training framework that supports SJN's continued growth as the leading global authority on solutions journalism education, with materials that empower trainers to deliver consistent, high-impact instruction to journalism communities worldwide.

Services Delivered

• Custom curriculum development for journalism training programs
• Instructional design for adult learners and professional development
• Training program structure for Train-the-Trainer methodology
• Learning objectives and assessment framework design
• Content architecture for multi-audience delivery (educators, journalists, students)
• Program materials supporting global training initiatives