.JPG)
(New York, NY – October 30, 2014) Family Travel Forum (FTF), the trusted vacation planning resource, in partnership with the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), is pleased to announce the winners of the 2014 Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarship. Designed to promote teen literacy, the 8th annual merit scholarship rewards teens’ best travel blogs and videos with cash prizes for college or future travels.
From April 1 to August 1, 2014, more than 9,000 students in US, Canada or American-International schools, or home-schools, applied to blog about a travel experience, whether near or far, that had a meangful impact on them.
“We are grateful to the 2014 sponsors: Cayman Island Tourism, CityPASS, Niagara Falls USA, SATW, Taking the Kids, TMS Family Travel and Travel Media Showcase — most of them proud repeat sponsors — for making this generous travel scholarship possible,” said FTF Senior Editor Fran Falkin. “Reading the kids’ work is a highlight of our year.” Additionally, in 2014, teens were able to compete for two other college grants supported by I Love New York and the professional group, New York Travel Writers Association.
Three preliminary judging rounds were completed by alumni members of SATW and FTF editors. Quarter-Finalist, Semi-Finalist and Finalist blogs represented fewer than one in 10 submissions. Winners were selected from the top Finalists (.03% of completed entries) by a team of professional writers, editors and photographers from SATW.
“SATW is honored to again join with FTF in promoting teen travel writing. Travel helps each of us learn about differing cultures and consequently more clearly understand our own,” says Annette Thompson, president of SATW.
We congratulate the winners of the 2014 Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarship and thank all bloggers for submitting such great work.
FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship Winners for 2014
1st Place – $1,000:
“I Come From Elsewhere, But I Come From Here” by Jenny Pon, Age 16, South Pasadena, California
2nd Place – $500:
“Wheels and Wildflowers: A Bike Tour Through Cade’s Cove” by Caroline Clauson, Age 17, Xenia, Ohio
3rd Place – $250
“Moonscape Beauty” by Danielle Thevanaz, Age 15, Bellingham, Washington
FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship Honorable Mentions 2014
(Honorarium includes reporter’s notebook, travel journal and pen, and passes to any Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! museum)
“A Final, Perfect Memory” by Adeline Weyrich, Age 18, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
“Ajanta Caves: Elegance Set in Stone” by Haripriya Mehta, Age 16, Des Plaines, Illinois
“Always Expect the Unexpected” by Lina Abdelsalam, Age 18, Fremont, California
“A Staring Contest with the Great Perhaps” by Casie Wilson, Age 18, Guyton, Georgia
“Cambodia to Thailand: A Tale of Monuments and Mango Milkshakes” by Hana McMahon-Cole, Age 17, Lincoln, Nebraska
“Escape Into Letchworth: Sehgahunda,’Vale of Three Falls‘” by Samantha Carney, Age 15, Gasport, New York
“Exploring the Beaches of Trinidad” by Kylie Lang, Age 17, Kew Gardens, New York
“Hello Dalai!” by Alexander Herz, Age 17, Corte Madera, California
“Keep Dreaming” by Dia Chanell McMillan, Age 17, Fort Worth, Texas
“Learning to Breathe” by Gloria Li, Age 17, Atlantic Beach, Florida
“Lost in Marrakesh” by Brodie Miller, Age 17, Eastsound, Washington
“Meeting My Grandfather” by Jack Wang, Age 18, North Oaks, Minnesota
“New York: A Sense-ational Place to Be” by Taylor Stroili, Age 18, Newtown, Connecticut
“One Fraction” by Ami G. Fall, Age 17, Ann Arbor, Michigan
“Pardon My French: The Art of Making Mistakes and Trying Anyway,” by Lillian Holmes, Age 17, Davis, California
“Relaxing to Roller Coasters: The Perfect Day in Sylvan Beach” by Mary Wester, Age 17, Beltsville, Maryland
“Savannah: New Blooms, Old Scars” by Alejandra Carriazo, Age 18, Miami, Florida
“Simple and Free” by Shea McCollum, Age 16, Scottsdale, Arizona
“Spine of the Earth: A Hike Through The Great Smokey Mountains” by Alix Wood, Age 18, Bradenton, Florida
“The Lone Mushroom” by Betty Nguyen, Age 18, San Jose, California
“The Magic of the Ancient Waters” by Daniela Aguilar, Age 17, Chicago, Illinois
“The Most Amazing Gift Shop in the World” by Julie Silverman, Age 17, Spring House, Pennsylvania
“The Silent Lake” by Elisabeth Christine Auel, Age 16, Roseville, California
“Tunes and Travels: My Trip to An Irish Jam Session” by Elaina Clauson, Age 13, Xenia, Ohio
“Vietnam: A Study in Privilege and a Doorknob” by Victoria Vong, Age 17, Seattle, Washington
2014 Teen Travel Scholarship Best Video
(SATW Honorarium of a $150 Photography Equipment Merchandise Gift Certificate)
“Culture Shock & New Home” by Moriah Crozier, Age 18, Chicago, Illinois
About FTF
Family Travel Forum has been the trusted vacation planning resource for global travel with kids and grandkids since 1996. FTF’s expert and community content has been seen on Disney’s Family.com and other sites, in “The Complete Idiots Guide to the Best Family Destinations,” “Amazing Places to Take Your Kids in North America” and by millions of traveling families. In addition to co-hosting the annual TMS Family Travel Summit and conferences, FTF ventures include an annual Teen Travel Writing Scholarship with SATW, currently in its eight year; the “The Family Vacationist” blog and e-alert; and Family Travel Consulting to the trade in partnership with Taking the Kids.
About SATW
The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), a tax-exempt, professional association, was established in 1955, and its membership includes journalists, editors, photographers, filmmakers, bloggers, and communications professionals who specialize in the travel industry. SATW promotes responsible journalism, provides professional support and development for its members, and encourages the conservation and preservation of travel resources worldwide.
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
Nice and informative post, thank you such a nice sharing, we can hope find more from you on this thank you.
This is absolutely first class
phenomenal
very informative article Travel forums provide first hand experience and advice to travelers and are a great source of information and travel tips.
for travel permissions in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh in India you can contact palaholidays.com a leading tour operator and travel guide exclusive for Jammu and Kashmir Tourism
Have you ever actually traveled with kids? It doesn’t seem like it by the tone of this article.
Hello Dr Ramesh,
If both legal guardians or birth parents of the child are traveling with the child, you will not need any other documentation, except everyone’s visas and passports. Check with your employer about medical insurance. If they will not provide medical coverage overseas, you can inquire with your U.S. based insurance company about what they provide. Some travel insurance companies sell one-year policies to cover students studying overseas and that might be another option. Safe Travels!
Sir, we both are going Europe with work visa on base of permit. Taking our 3year old child with us. Any letter or medical form/ paper we need to carry with us?
A Great Family Activity and one that will bring the family back together in the future when they all grow up!!
Take a look at our adventures. https://www.youtube.com/user/00Shaddow00 . We just started doing this to bring the family together and stop wasting our time setting in front of the television. We are filming our trips to document our adventures to remember and to share with family and friends. Maybe to motivate others to get out there with there family.
good article..
thanks for sharing the wonderful and informative details. Love this blog post. Next month coming to san francisco and looking for best hotel.
Dubai is such a nice place to stay and famous for its wonderful sightseeing’s attractions. The best trip is Dubai sightseeing’s tour and desert safari in Dubai. We had great time couple of years ago.
Everything is very open with a precise clarification of the challenges. It was really informative. Your site is extremely helpful. Many thanks for sharing
Let me add http://www.babyquip.com to the list.
With over 300 locations to serve you in North America, we help tens of thousands of families enjoy more restful and memorable outings near and far.
YAY THAT’S MY TWIN! So proud of you Tali!
Your blog helped me to plan my family trip to Bangkok and Pattaya. Just made a video blog out if it, https://youtu.be/tok17yOR1W8 please watch ang give feedback.
Ranch Vacation with family is a real fun. Here we spent quality time with each other. Truly said, we eat a lot and on-time as well. Riding is also a fun in ranch vacation, Created a perfect picture.
For great prices on water rafting, cruise, zip line, and horseback riding activities, you can check out: http://www.mauiticketsforless.com
We have actually done the ATV tour in Cozumel Mexico, and had an amazing time. We booked with Cozumel Cruise Excursions. Net which is a family business and we had an amazing time. Theres nothing better than going to another country and getting great customer service and amazing people as guides. I would highly recommend checking them out next time your in Cozumel http://cozumelcruiseexcursions.net
This sounds like so much fun! From the haunted houses to the different drinks offered. I didn’t know HHN was such a major part for Universal Orlando. Good to know! Thanks for the article!
Hello Annetta,
Yes, one Permission to Travel or Consent Letter can list more than one child on it, if the contact information for the legal guardians/birth parents is the same.
Safe travels!
Can I use one concept form to apply for two sibling from the same father
Hey, very nice site. I came across this on Google, and I am stoked that I did. I will definitely be coming back here more often. Wish I could add to the conversation and bring a bit more to the table,but am just taking in as much info as I can at the moment. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for all of these suggestions.
Chicago is a wonderful place to visit.
Excellent very nice! No doubt Dubai is very famous for more activities but desert safari is very unique activity.i love this one…
This is important topic for travel insurance for family and luggage on holiday and if you want to explore more destination you can visit here:- http://www.yourvitalventures.com
Thanks, recommendation cheap hotels is very useful for the preparation of our vacation that will not be soon. Really nice!
Nice article
Nice Travel Tips…
It’s amazing. I hope i can visit it soon T.T
Beautiful article
Our family of 3 adults booked a tour with Kalka Travels in April 2018. Our tour included transportation and accommodation in Delhi, Pushkar, Udaipur, Bundi, Jaipur and Agra. We then caught an overnight train to Varanasi where we met up with a third party contracted by Kalka Travel. Overall we were very happy with the tour company as they delivered on what we had pre-arranged with them. We upgraded our vehicle to a SUV rather than just a sedan, and added an elephant ride to Agra Fort, tickets to traditional dance show in Udaipur, a movie at the Raj Mandir theatre in Jaipur as well as water was supplied each day to us. All breakfasts were included. Our driver Ravinder was exceptional in that he was always on time and patient with us sometimes being late; the vehicle was always cleaned that morning and comfortable. He was highly attentive to our needs, very reliable, polite, and humorous, and told us what to expect at each stop. We always felt very safe with him as he was an excellent driver. His English was good in that we were able to ask many questions of him. Kalka Travels was flexible with our itinerary and our driver stopped at a few places that were not on our list of stops, unlike the other company we had considered booking who told us the drivers could not be flexible.Our wonderful driver, Ravinder, made our trip very special. Kalka Travels also only asked for a $100 deposit in advance and the remainder when we arrived in India, which put us at ease. Bobby Thakur was very quick to respond to any concerns we had. All in all, a wonderful vacation and experience with Kalka Travels.
Nice article! Wanted to point out another license plate app that has a map view showing all your plates, calculates points based on current location and includes US, Canada, Mexico and Australia plates.
For iOS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plates-family-travel-game/id1335335602?mt=8
For Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ebrydobby.app.plates.free
Great article & very practical. Thanks for all the tips – I’ll be thinking about them for a while as we work on our website redesign.
Great vacation ideas and post too..!!!
There are many famous forts and palaces along with wildlife sanctuaries and other monuments which has attracted thousands of visitors and some of them have become a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site as well.
We are completely in accord with these ‘not to miss 5 experiences in Dubai.’ We experienced them on a family trip last year. The one thing we missed out was the charter yacht. Now we have taken it as a priority for our next trip after reading your post.
Look like you had a great adventure trip. The ship looks awesome.
Dubai is amazing. I really enjoyed reading your article! 🙂
I just found a website that lists apple festivals all over the country! So you can find something in your area. They all seem a little bit different, which is fun. http://pickyourown.org/applefestivals.php
St john is more quite than other Caribbean islands. St John accessible only by ferry from the other U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John is a true gem in the Caribbean with crystal clear waters, lush green mountains and gorgeous white sand beaches. Though it is the smallest of the three U.S. Virgin Islands, St. John’s unspoiled beauty is perhaps the greatest found anywhere in the Caribbean.
Rajasthan is one of the most vibrant and colorful states in India with its rich culture and traditions since ancient times. It is known as the land of warriors and beautiful princess who even chose to die for saving their chastity and had a great affinity with their motherland. Whether it is the cuisine or the dress sense everything is unique about Rajasthan’s culture. There are many famous forts and palaces along with wildlife sanctuaries and other monuments which has attracted thousands of visitors and some of them have become a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site as well. The famous sites are described in this blog which is good for the history lovers and for those people who want to explore more about the diversity of Rajasthan.
Being in the city of Royal Tents in Jaisalmer of moving sand ridges, you can’t get away from the seat travel. A rough ride on a camel in the Thar Desert is one of the energizing things to do in Jaisalmer Royal Camps. It enables you to investigate the remote and segregated spots tucked amidst the abandon. Absolutely, the additional time you give on your safari, the more remote spots you are probably going to see and the more you may acclimate to and appreciate the abandon serenity.
I am going to Dubai next month thanks for sharing this information will come in handy
Nice post…
Thank you so much for sharing a great information. I appreciate your time and effort in your work. Keep posting.
Thanks, for posting such and Informatic blog. I had been to Amer Fort in Jaipur and it was an amazing experience.
I have read your full post and I want to say that this is a very nice blog. Thanks for viewing up such great information. I like this post, keep writing and give the useful post.
Every family Should explore the Australia see most attractive ACTIVITIES IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA.
A rough ride on a camel in the Thar Desert is one of the energizing things to do in Jaisalmer Royal Camps. It enables you to investigate the remote and segregated spots tucked amidst the abandon.
I think that is a wonderful experience at Dubai. I’ve been to Dubai and it’s pretty