About Us

Are you a fan of the Jesuits, Ignatian spirituality and a faith that does justice? Do you have a great digital media idea to help promote the Jesuit mission? Interested in access to all kinds of expert support — from graphic design to video editing to content development to marketing — to make your idea a reality? (Plus, a mini-grant!)
Ignatian Media Lab

If you answered “yes” to those three questions, then what are you waiting for? Apply to the Ignatian Media Lab today.

The Jesuits of Canada and the United States are excited to launch the Ignatian Media Lab (IML).

The IML will encourage and incubate the development of digital media initiatives across the Ignatian network by offering creative members of the Ignatian family mini-grants and editorial, technical and promotional support from the Jesuit Conference Office of Communications and Vocation Promotion (JC).

The IML will also connect members with each other in a cohort for the duration of their participation (nine months) for mutual support and workshop-style feedback during the creative process.

By the end of the IML period, participants will have released their project into the world.

1. Mini-Grants: IML participants can request mini-grants to help offset the cost of needed supplies, like the hardware or software participants need to bring their project to life. 
 
2. Editorial Support: The JC will serve as editors/producers every step of the way, working with IML participants to help shape and revise their work in pursuit of Ignatian mission relevance and overall editorial quality.
 
3. Technical Support: The JC has experts in graphic design, video editing and animation, sound editing, web design, writing, photography and more. For an applicant with a great podcast idea but little technical experience, for example, we can help on the back end.
 
4. Workshop Opportunities: The IML cohort of participants will gather for required monthly online experiences, including best practice webinars led by JC or guest presenters and workshop-style opportunities through which participants will give feedback to each other.
 
5. Promotional Support: The JC’s social media channels, website and email lists will facilitate promotion of the new projects to our audience. 

• Individual or small group with deep familiarity with Ignatian spirituality and the mission of the Society of Jesus
• Age 18+ (younger applicants must work in collaboration with at least one sponsoring adult)
• Resident of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States or affiliated countries (Canada, USA, Haiti, Belize, Fiji, Micronesia), or someone with a demonstrable connection to the Jesuit Conference living/working abroad
• Established, current connections to Jesuit/Ignatian institutions/ministries preferred, but not required

• We are seeking a variety of media across the cohort, including but not limited to podcast/audio content, video projects, deep-dive written projects with multimedia elements, social media projects, website development, etc.
• Selected proposals will be able to have an impact beyond a participant’s own setting. A project designed to help high school students grow in Ignatian spirituality, for instance, could be acceptable, as long as it could be used in multiple settings. However, something like a redesigned newsletter for a college’s alumni association would not be on target.
• Selected proposals will show a clear rootedness in Ignatian spirituality and tradition, connected to the Society of Jesus’ mission to promote reconciliation with God, other people and the planet. Projects should be distinctively Jesuit/Ignatian in content and approach.
• We prefer content that targets audiences generally underserved by Jesuit/Catholic/faith-based media.

Key Dates

  • Completed applications due February 28, 2021
  • Invitations to selected projects extended by March 31, 2021
  • IML program duration: April – December 2021

Questions?

Contact Mike Jordan Laskey, the Jesuit Conference’s communications director, at jcucommunications@jesuits.org.

To Apply:

Send an email to media@jesuits.org with the following attachments:

  • Resume/CV
  • Cover letter describing your project proposal and addressing the following questions:
    • Why is this project important now? What need is it meeting?
    • What goal(s) do you have for this project? And how would you measure them? In other words, what does success look like?
    • Who would be your target audience?
    • What makes your proposal unique and worthwhile at this point in time?
  • Up to three published or unpublished work samples (links or attachments fine) that demonstrate your suitability for this project.
  • 2-3 references (their name, relationship to you, email)

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