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AmericanPoverty.org Student Summer Grants are open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students under the age of 26, any student under age 26 who will graduate in the winter or spring of 2010, or any photographer or filmmaker under the age of 23 who is neither employed fulltime as a staff photographer/video/multimedia journalist or deriving significant income as a freelancer in those fields. Two persons, e.g., a writer and photographer or a videographer and broadcast journalist, can apply as a team but only one grant will be awarded, to be split by both applicants.
In the richest and most powerful nation the world has ever known, millions of poor people face problems so basic they seem totally out-of-place in the twenty-first century. For decades the plight of Americans living in deep poverty has remained largely undocumented by the mainstream media and unseen by the public at large. These are the persistently poor: ignored during the prosperity of the 1990s, ignored in the current recession and likely to be ignored again when the recovery takes place.
Applicants in the still photography category are asked to propose a project that would demonstrate the urgent need for poverty alleviation, document the lives of individuals or families coping with deep or severe poverty, or identify and dispel negative stereotypes and prejudices that Americans have about poor people.
Simply reawakening Americans to the suffering of the disadvantaged, no matter how poignantly done, is not enough. Unless people believe that things really can improve, they will not be motivated to work toward change.
Applicants for the video/multimedia grant are asked to identify specific examples of hope and progress – success stories about real people that will inspire viewers, or coverage of innovative organizations that help the poor within their own communities and could lead the way toward improving millions of lives.
A typed statement, not to exceed two single-spaced pages, on how you would use an AmericanPoverty.org Student Summer Grant. Remember to adhere to the guidelines above for either a still photography or video/multimedia project. Please leave a one-inch margin at the top and bottom of each page.
Proposed projects should provide opportunities to:For all applicants: We believe that, as a visual communicator, it is no longer enough to simply create the work. Accompanying the proposal each applicant is asked to suggest effective and innovative ways of distributing the results of their project to achieve maximum impact. Who would the target audience be for your project? How might you reach that audience? Where feasible, AmericanPoverty.org will use its resources to assist the student in executing their distribution strategy.
Special guidance for videographers and multi/media producers: A successful proposal for this competition would most likely be one that is driven by natural sound and “verite” moments – where subjects are in the thick of things, rather than narrated – and would rely heavily on interviews and verite scenes. Like all good stories, we’re hoping to find proposals that will introduce us to characters and take us on a journey with a beginning, a middle and an end, showing us how an individual, a family, an organization or a community can overcome the challenges of being poor. Since good audio is often the weak link in video/multimedia projects, proposals should give us a sense how to you plan to use good natural sound to enhance the viewers’ ability to engage with the subjects of the story.
Still photographer’s portfolios should demonstrate a strong ability to take pictures that will communicate effectively with the general public rather than simply fulfill the photographer’s own personal artistic vision. Portfolios must consist of a total of 20-30 digital pictures, each of which can be part of photo stories, a single image or any combination thereof. The portfolio pictures will be used to judge the photographer’s overall ability and do not necessarily need to be related to the proposal. Please send images on a DVD or CD in accordance with the following specifications: image files sized to longest dimension at 3000 pixels, 300 dpi, saved as JPEGs with standard compression no lower than 10 on the JPEG scale. For each image, caption information must be included in the “File Info” description section of the image file. The photographer's name should be clearly marked on the DVD or CD, but, for the purpose of unbiased judging, it is essential that the photographer’s name, school affiliation and contact information not in the image metadata or file names.
Ideally, video/multimedia portfolio should show how the students can deal with different stories types, particularly features, short documentaries and “nat packs” without narration. The portfolio should maintain a strong allegiance to high production values like using a tripod where stylistically appropriate, proper exposure, good audio, excellent use of natural sound, all in accord with good video/multimedia storytelling. Students are asked to submit 1- 3 excerpts of their best work, totaling no more than six minutes aggregate, on a DVD. Standard definition is preferred due to ease of playback and files should be saved as quicktime (.mov). Bear in mind, the judges would always rather see a single strong sample than one strong sample diluted by two weaker ones. As in the still category, the disk should be marked legibly with the applicant's name but the videographer or producer’s name, school affiliation or contact information should not be visible when the project is projected.
Ask two persons who are familiar with your work and your proposal to write letters of recommendation, and submit those letters with your application. The judges are impressed by letters from people with a genuine knowledge of you and your work. Recommender's letters should cover items such as your talents, ability to work independently, meet deadlines and accomplish the specific project you're suggesting.
A typed statement, not to exceed one single spaced page, to include reasons for studying photojournalism, multimedia or documentary film, a statement of your interest in social justice documentary work, and future plans.
All material should be submitted by U.S. Mail or by courier service, e.g., Fedex or UPS, to the following address:
In Our Own Backyard, NFPWinners will be notified in mid-march. All judging will be by an independent panel of advocates, photographers and filmmakers.
Entries will only be returned if accompanied by a self-addressed pre-paid shipping container or envelope. Entrants retain copyright to all submitted work but agree to allow In Our Own Backyard, NFP to display, exhibit, print and distribute the work as part of our AmericanPoverty.org poverty awareness campaign. Entrants also agree to allow In Our Own Backyard, NFP and the AmericanPoverty.org campaign to utilize their name, biography and likeness in connection with thier entry and in promoting poverty awareness and alleviation.
Questions: or tel. 708-721-2100
In Our Own Backyard, NFP is a registered 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization.
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