Scholarship Lead: John Curley Scholarships

The AAJA National Convention in Washington, D.C., from August 13 to 16 this year will be a wonderful opportunity to network with other journalists from around the country, to participate in panel discussions with seasoned journalists, and to attend a career fair and résumé critique sessions.

For the fifth year in a row, AAJA-Philadelphia will be offering the John Curley Scholarship. This year, we will offer two scholarships, each up to $500, to help pay the expenses for two members to go to the annual convention.

Our ability to do so comes from the kind generosity of our donor, John Curley, the former president, chairman and CEO of the Gannett company, who has been a strong supporter of the Philadelphia chapter of AAJA.

WHAT: The chapter will reimburse the selected members up to $500 in expenses to attend the convention. These expenses include the registration fee for the convention, transportation, and hotel costs. (You may be asked to share your hotel room with another AAJA-Philly member.)

TO APPLY:

  • You must be a current dues-paying AAJA-Philly chapter member to apply.
  • We will consider current students or professionals who are trying to establish themselves in the journalism field or who are in financial need.
  • Send a one-page essay telling the AAJA-Philly board why you want to go to the convention, how you think you will benefit from it, and why you need help with the expenses. E-mail your essay to:aajaphiladelphia@gmail.com

DEADLINE: Apply by the end of the day, Monday, March 31, 2014.
AAJA-Philly board members will review all applications and announce the scholarship winners by Tuesday, April 8. Expenses will be reimbursed in the form of a check after the convention. You must give us copies of your receipts.
(If a board member wants to apply, he/she will not be part of the judging process.)

OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
The winning applicants will also be required to:

  • Register for the convention by the early-bird registration date of Tuesday, April 15. (The early-bird student registration fee is $100; for professionals, it is $250.)
  • Write a blog post about something you learned at the convention for our chapter website either at the convention or soon afterward. This could be a summary of things you learned, a Q+A with a speaker at the convention, or a summary of a panel discussion, for instance.
  • Take a few pictures at the convention to be posted on our chapter website.
  • Assist in the planning, promotion or day-of duties for an AAJA-Philly panel event currently scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 18, 2014.

MORE INFORMATION: For more info about the convention, visit: www.aaja.org/dc2014

We encourage everyone who wants to go and who needs help with expenses to apply for this! Questions? Feel free to e-mail aajaphiladephia@gmail.com.