Got ideas to "hack the curriculum" of journalism education, or more effectively involve j-schools in local news coverage? The Online News Association Challenge Fund is now accepting applications.

This goal of this challenge is to support partnerships between colleges/universities and local news outlets to explore new ways of providing information to local communities. It is open to U.S.-based colleges or universities working in collaborative teams.

This challenge will support up to 11 experimental, community-focused projects that provide a platform to connect academics and professionals. Winners receive a "micro-grant" of up to $35,000 to support live, local news experiments. They can then compete to win up to $100,000 in additional grand prizes.

Learn more and apply now
Deadline: Jan. 15, 2015

Applicants may submit multiple projects. Collaboration is strongly encouraged. A team may include educators, students, local media partners, researchers, digital practitioners, and members of the community.

Winning teams will be featured at the 2015 ONA conference in Los Angeles.

More info: Follow the Twitter hashtag #hackcurriculum, or e-mail ONA Operations Director Irving Washington.

This $1 million, two-year challenge is supported by the Knight Foundation, the Excellence and Ethics in Journalism Foundation, the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, and the Rita Allen Foundation.