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(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.
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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.
Very tasty.
Dubai is a glorious city in the world but the desert safari is most thrilling tour in Dubai since 1980 . This is a great post and great team work .
When I was reading this I realize that this is the best blog as compare to others. Its really appreciated.
Don’t stop keep posting this type of posts
Good address for ski. My daughter loves skiing very much. It will be a good option for us for the next winter holiday.
Good to know as I have a daughter at 10 YOD and she loves skiing very much.
Seems there are lots of fun for kids in Las Vegas. I have never though about a such thing there. It will be a good option to consider for our next family holiday. Thank you.
What’s a wonderful & luxury holiday. I am dreaming about it.
It’s Fantastic And Useful Blog About World Heritage Sites and There information is very informative and useful.
Thanks for sharing.
I love reading your blogs, there are many useful information for travelers. Thank you very much for sharing.
Good advices when traveling with kids. Thank you very much.
What’s an amazing trip. Thank you for sharing.
Very nice day. We don’t have it in Vietnam 🙁
Amazing hotels. I love eco-resort with nature style instead of modern hotels.
Good to read this before I prepare my family trip in the summer.
Good to know this. Thank you for sharing. I will consider this for my children.
Thank you for these tips on how to plan a family safari! I’d like to be able to take my whole family and show them the beauty of Africa. But it always seemed so daunting to plan a whole trip that everyone would enjoy. I mean there’s always the age differences, and differences in interest as well to think about. Just thinking of ensuring that everything goes well planned is stressing me out. That’s why I turned to the internet in search of tips! Definitely will use your tips on how to choose a safari.
Very good tips. We all should follow these tips for a safe road trip. Thanks for the great help.
Thankyou Mr Ralph S for giving precise information on the overland.
i will be travelling for the 1st time from adelaide to melbourne this month end. it will be of grt help.
Soon I’ll be planning a trip to Dubai. Thanks for the information about what’s worth visiting.
Hello Lansdell family! This is a great place for a long weekend of outdoors exploration and a beautiful park. In late May, a new business is opening = https://www.floattheriver.net/ = which will run float trips on inner tubes on portions of the river. I asked some locals and they suggested that after biking and hiking and riding the train, your kids might enjoy day trips to nearby Canton, Akron or Cleveland. Each has lots of Metroparks (the public system of urban parks) and museums, etc to do and see. With some planning, all your days can be as full of variety as you would like. We hope you have a wonderful trip.
How did you get around the Darien Gap?
Very good
Thank you for sharing these warm and touching thoughts of yours! I’ve only been the Belarus once, but I wish I read it before going, something in my experience would definitely be different then. I did use some advise – from the telegram channel for foreigners https://t.me/Belanews but I guess your opinion would be great to consider and embrace too.
Thanks for all the info. We are planning on going in August, and are trying to find a nature-centered vacation for our family of 4, kids ages 7 and 4. We are from Southern Ontario, Canada and we came across this national park. Would you recommend this place for 3-4 days? Is there enough to do (hiking, train rides, exploring etc)? Somewhere else? We also looked at the Smoky Mountains but its about a 11-12 hours vs the 5-6 hours to Cuyohoga. Any advice would be helpful.
That place is really amazing. I want to spend my vacations on this beautiful place. Thanks for sharing this nice information.
I've been there last year. If someone is looking for a nice hotel I can highly recommend to take a look at the Hotel Rappen Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Such a good information.Nice work.Very useful for us.
The gardens of Suzhou are absolutely beautiful and something that you don’t want to miss while you are there.
Traveling with your children in s Suzhou is super easy and safe. My family had a lot of fun and the kids really enjoyed there time there. One thing they really loved was going down all of the canals. Here is some great information on all the beautiful canals that you can explore.
It looks like a beautiful experience. Turkey is a wonderful country -and the fact that it’s not that expensive compared to other countries makes a visit there even more tempting. Thanks for sharing.
good tips, safety comes first so that our trip may be remembered as a happy memoir when we went to see and explore new places and have fun. and not as a terrifying night in the ER. god bless you all , be safe
Thanks for your insight for your fantastic posting. I’m glad I have taken the time to see this.
Great tips for road trips!
Thanks for posting, very valuable information .
Being visiting is one of the best experiences of my life. Being there and enjoying every bit of time is wonderful. Personally, my best experience is an underground aquarium and desert safari. One visited Dubai must go for these two activities.
Would love this for our family!
We’ve always wanted to go and now they are old enough to enjoy it.
Thanks so much for doing this!
The beaches, the weather, the food, the attractions and the activities- everything was perfect.
I think parents should focus more on preparing or educating their children about the proper etiquette and behaviors before the flight to avoid being a nuisance to others. I don’t know much about kids but as a first-time mom, that’s what I will do.
Hi,
You have explained the timeshare information for Spain country very well.Share more blogs which will we helpful for people like us in future.
Thanks
Seeking for your positive reply.
Hi,
I would like to travel out of the US with my son. I understand that I would need his father to sign and notarize a letter. He had not been a stand up dad to take care of his responsibilities so he left and I can’t find him. What can I do in a situation like that to travel with my son?
happy you enjoyed the story. This park is in Ohio where the climate can be capricious! It’s hottest between late April and November, however even April has the danger of some snow. In case you’re enjoying the great outdoors with children, the most secure wager is June to August, since it’s hotter and there’s little downpour. Make the most of your trek.
Wonderfully informative article!
I want to go travel with kids but I was not decided where we go. Your post is helpful for me. Thanks for sharing.
Tenerife is SO stunning! I love this volcanic landscape, sometimes you feel like you traveled to the Moon. This place has it all – great views, pleasant weather, awesome food, wine and laid-back people. Thanks for sharing ideas, I’ll use some of them on my next trip 🙂
Very nice article and msg we likes so much
I automatically think the word “gumbling” when I heard Las Vegas. I never knew that Las Vegas has something to offer for youngsters. Will bring my children here soon.
Nice Article, it is very helpful to me.
There is no Doubt, Dubai is most popular destination among tourists from across the world and have gained high popularity in last decade. If you are in Dubai and dhow go for dhow cruise, there is some thing missing on your list. There are Dubai dhow cruise, Musandam Dibba dhow cruise and Khasab Musandam dhow cruise. Try some of them and you will love.
Istanbul layover tour is a great service to use the best of your time in Istanbul Airport. However if you like to have a private attention and flexibility, you can check private tour services of ISTANBUL LAYOVER TOURS. They are offering the layover tours from Istanbul International Airport.
Great article! Wanted for Christmas again. Do you know anything about this place ? It is very interesting to know the opinions. How much advance it is necessary to book a hotel and various entertainment before the holidays?