The New York Times recently announced its fourth annual Win-a-Trip 2010 contest for American college students. The winner gets to go on an unforgettable reporting trip to Africa with Times journalist Nicholas Kristof. The winning student will also get to blog for nytimes.com and to file videos to The Times and Youtube.
In his blog post announcing the contest, Kristof say he is not looking for specific criteria, but does want the winner to have great communication skills and be able to catch the interest of other students through blogs and vlogs (video blogs).
According to Kristof, “It won’t be comfortable or glamorous. Maybe we’ll interview a president, but far more time will be spent squatting in thatch-roof huts, listening to villagers…This contest reflects my conviction that the best way to open minds and hearts to the world’s challenges is to see them, hear them, smell them.”
He also mentions that in the trip with his first contest winner, a student who had never been abroad, they explored jungles and saw elephants and gorillas, were held up at gunpoint twice when trying to investigate banditry, and watched an African woman die of childbirth gone wrong (it is sadly very common there). On his second trip, he and his winners (there were two that year) ate dinner with a warlord and then interviewed Africans whose lives were ruined by his army in addition to exploring the hard work done by aid workers.
To enter this contest, write an essay of up to 700 words or create a video of up to three minutes (you can even do both if you’re feeling bold). If you write the essay, send it to winatrip@nytimes.com. If you create a video, post it on Kristof’s YouTube channel next to his video invite for applications.
In your application, explain why you should be chosen. Kristof also says to mention if you have any experience in journalism, blogging or vlogging, or anything else that makes you a special or memorable candidate. The Center for Global Development will look through the applications and narrow them down to a group of finalists, and then Kristof and his assistant will pick the winner.
You must be a student at an American university to enter (you can be an undergraduate or a graduate student) who are 18 or older. To learn more about eligibility, check out the full rules.
Kristof says he often gets people who lose complaining that they missed out on such a great opportunity, so he lists ways you can have a similar experience yourself:
Since I can only choose one winner, I strongly encourage you to think about how you might make your own trip if you’re not selected. The possibilities are vast, but here are a few alternatives. Two of the best development organizations based in the developing world are the Self-Employed Women’s Association of India and BRAC in Bangladesh, and both accept some volunteers. Or if you have an interest in health, there’s the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital in Somaliland, Africa, a remarkable institution. Or teach English to brothel children in Calcutta at an anti-trafficking organization called New Light, run by Urmi Basu, another of my heroes. There’s also an organization in Cambridge, Mass., called World Teach that can connect you to possibilities to teach English abroad, from Namibia to Micronesia.
I wish I was still eligible to participate! Are you planning to apply?
