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Travel Grants and Awards 
Spirit of Adventure Award -
nominations due September 8, 2008. In 1991, the Los Angeles Council of HI- USA created the "Spirit of Adventure Award." This honorary award recognizes an individual (or individuals), regardless of age, who, through his or her experiences, has demonstrated outstanding enthusiasm and curiosity while traveling abroad. Primary consideration will be the spirit and manner in which the nominees undertook their travels, their ability to give interesting presentations, and their experiences in hostels. The recipient of the award will be honored with special recognition and a HI-USA Life Membership, both of which will be presented at the HI-Members Annual Meeting & Party. The exact date will be announced on this web site and via our print and E-editions of our newsletter The Wanderer. The award recipient must be able to attend the Annual Meeting & Party to receive the award. After receiving the award, the recipient will make a presentation on his or her adventures and travel experiences. Maybe you know a person you would like to nominate? Do they have an itchy foot and curious mind? Is it someone whose life plan involves meeting people of different cultures and visiting the far off corners of the globe? Do they have an unquenchable desire to see the world and meet its people? Is that person someone who understands that travel is a vehicle for better human understanding? Maybe that person is you! Take a look at the stories (written below) about a few of the more recent Spirit of Adventure Award recipients and see the kind of adventurous travelers we wish to honor. If you wish to nominate someone, including yourself, please send us the name and contact information for your nominee (including phone numbers). Tell us about your nominee and their travels and why you believe they should receive this award. Go ahead. Impress us (we love photos)! State your reasons for submission and mail the information to: SOAA Award Committee or, Submit your nomination electronically to programs@lahostels.org
Past Spirit of Adventure Award (SOAA) Recipients
If you are 17-26 and live within the greater Los Angeles area, HI-USA can help make your travel dreams come true! The Los Angeles Council of Hostelling International USA promotes and supports the pursuit of world exploration and experiential education by bestowing an annual travel grant of $1,000. The grant is awarded to a deserving HI-USA member between the ages of 17 and 26 who lives in the greater Los Angeles area. The purpose of the grant is to assist the recipient in realizing their goals through travel. If you have a travel plan in place or are thinking about traveling at some point this coming year, send HI-USA a proposal indicating the travel goals of your proposed trip. The educational value of your travel plans and your ability to share the experience with HI-USA members both play a part in the committee's final selection. In considering your proposal, our programs committee approves of art, film, photography, and writing as appropriate mediums, of which all applicants should choose one or more, to demonstrate their ability to achieve their travel goals. We want the project you submit to illustrate what you have learned about other countries and cultures, and to inspire others to travel to learn more about the world and its people. Grant Guidelines: Recipients must be a current HI-USA member upon receipt of the grant. Recipients must live within the greater Los Angeles area (including Kern, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura counties). Recipients must demonstrate their ability to inspire others to travel using hostels. Recipients shall submit to HI-USA a proposal describing the medium that will best demonstrate the achievement of their (educational) goals while traveling. Within 90 days of returning from travel, recipients must submit material, previously mentioned as approved by the committee, for publication in the Los Angeles Council’s newsletter, The Wanderer, and/or on the Council’s website. In your proposal be sure to give us specific details of your travel plans:
1) When will
the trip take place; Your typewritten proposal should be a minimum of two pages long. Completed
applications for the travel grant are accepted from January 1-March 15, 2009.
The selection committee will review all applications and announce the recipient
of the grant by April 30, 2009. For more information or to
obtain an application please call the HI-Travel Centre at (310) 393-3413, email
us at
programs@lahostels.org,
or
Download an application. CHECK IT OUT! Past Travel Grant Recipient Projects Ø Samuel Byker of Los Angeles, 2008 Travel Grant recipient Sam is a nineteen year old Economics and History double-major at Brown University. With six of his classmates, Sam traveled four weeks in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam. Their goal was to collect footage for a documentary about a newly created non-governmental organization, The Energy and Resource Institute (TERI), that pioneered the Lighting a Billion Lives (LaBL) initiative. Sam and his team immersed themselves in towns and remote villages, illuminating the impact that artificial light has on communities and individuals. Sam stated in his application that "LaBL provides a comprehensive approach to sustainable development, satisfying a fundamental need for electricity while also stimulating entrepreneurial activity. Its innovative model is replicable throughout India -and beyond- but the organization remains in the early stages of growth." This project will boost TERI's international presence. See Sam's photo journal colorfully depicting his trip and commentary explaining what he witnessed. In the 2008-2009 school year, Sam and his classmates will create media for LaBL, such as videos, podcasts and slideshows. Additionally, a shorter documentary will be presented at the Clinton Global Initiative Summit. After university, Sam wishes to pursue a public service career. sdaad Sarah Holden of Claremont, 2007 Travel Grant recipient Sarah is a graduate from Scripps College with a major in Studio Art and a minor in Religious Studies. Sarah planned a European trip, focusing her time mainly in Italy. She viewed this trip as an opportunity to enrich her understanding of what she pursued in college “in person rather than on a page.” Throughout Italy she stayed in convents and monasteries that operated also as hostels. With her sketch book in hand, Sarah recorded images for future reference in her art-making. After her three month journey Sarah submitted this essay and two-dimensional mixed media art examples, documenting the lives of the Italian nuns she met and the various sacred spaces she traveled to along the way. Ø Kimberly Bautista of Pasadena, 2006 Travel Grant recipient Kimberly was a student at Pitzer College with a double-major in Media Studies and Spanish. She participated in a Study Abroad Program in Ecuador, and planned an independent study project where she interviewed Colombians living in Ecuador to see how they had assimilated to Ecuadorian culture and society. Kimberly used her travel grant money to visit Colombia. She was able to compare the cultural challenges of those she interviewed for her documentary, on Colombian identity, to her own struggles of being a person "struggling to be accepted as Colombian and gringa (North American) at the same time." Kimberly stated in her application that she "would love to receive a grant to travel from Ecuador to Colombia to explore the theme of a displaced people, ‘mis compatriotas,’ more deeply." Footage she shot in Colombia served as the material she used for her senior theses. See Kimberly's photos and five minute video showcasing her interviews with Colombians and her explorations of what it is to be in a country full of displaced people and the struggles they have maintaining their national and cultural identity. Ø Kim Kurcab of Irvine, 2005 Travel Grant recipient Kim is a graduate from UC Irvine with a career objective to work in ecological restoration and conservation. She joined the Global Volunteer Network to work on an environmental community service project in New Zealand. This was the perfect trip to compliment her years of university education and give her fieldwork experience in a volunteer capacity. Her volunteer program was based in Wellington and the southern part of the North Island. Kim helped in a variety of projects from wildlife surveys, native species restoration to areas that have been invaded by exotic alien species and national park environmental maintenance. In addition, Kim worked with a team of volunteers from all over the world, learning about indigenous and immigrant people from the area. Upon the return from her two month trip, Kim created a detailed photo journal of her experiences in New Zealand. For more information or to obtain an application please call the HI-Travel Centre at (310) 393-3413 or email us at programs@lahostels.org, or Download application. |
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