Thursday, January 17, 2008

Alexia Foundation for World Peace Competition

Many of you know of this as I've spoken of it often, but here's a reminder to get your proposal together and get it in:

The Alexia Foundation for World Peace's annual competition is now accepting entries. The student deadline has been extended to February 6, 2008. You need a written proposal for a story that addresses the issues the foundation is interested in (world peace and cultural understanding) as well as a portfolio. All submissions are done online.

This is a unique competition as the proposal is the main determinant for the winners. Judges read the proposals prior to looking at the portfolios. If the proposal is liked, the portfolio is used to determine whether the photographer could carry it out.

There are student and professional awards. For the students, first place is a semester in London with Syracuse University's photojournalism program and $1,000 cash to put towards your story. For the professionals, it's a $15,000 grant to do the proposed story.

More info, and entry requirements, are on the Alexia web site. This is one of those very special competitions, both for what it does and why it exists. It costs you nothing to enter, so why wouldn't you?

UPDATE: What follows is what was sent along to me by Alexia Chair David Sutherland:


Study photojournalism in London
Alexia Scholarship pays all tuition for fall semester at Syracuse University London Centre in England

Application deadline is extended to Feb. 6, 2008.


An all-tuition scholarship to study photojournalism for a semester in London, plus a $1000 cash grant is available for the first place winner of the Alexia Foundation Scholarship and Grant Competition.

Four more awards provide partial scholarships and $500 cash grants. Scholarships are for studying photojournalism at the Syracuse University London Center in the Fall of 2008. The cash grants are given whether or not the scholarships are used, and are to be used to help produce the project that is proposed as part of the application.

All students are eligible, graduate and undergrad, as long as you don’t have more than three internships or the equivalent of a year’s professional experience.

Competition rules and information are available at http://AlexiaFoundation.org
The application process is online at the website and is simple. Submit a story proposal (no more than 750 words), your portfolio (no more than 20 pictures) and a resume.

The competition rules are the same for graduates and undergrads, but the scholarship program is different for undergrads than for winners who are matriculated grad students or are now graduating seniors. Be sure to select link to the proper information at the website under the “Awards” heading in the student rules.

The London Experience is the highlight of a photographer's education at Syracuse University. Limited to 15 juniors, seniors, and graduate students, the London photography program offers a focused study of photography with one course covering picture essays and documentary photography. A second course, Visual Issues in the Media, includes lectures by British newspaper and wire service photographers and by American photographers on assignment in London; field trips to places such as the Royal Photographic Society, the photography departments of Reuters News Services and the Associated Press; and visit to sites such as the Museum of the Moving Image.

In addition to the two required photography courses, a wide range of liberal arts courses, including comparative politics, British history, and English literature are available to complete the course load for undergraduates. Complete academic and financial information about the SU program abroad in London is at http://suabroad.syr.edu/programs/london

For more information, please contact David Sutherland at dcsuther@syr.edu

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