Archives: October2008

• STUDENTS FROM MAINE ISLANDS TO GO ON ASSIGNMENT WITH NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TO DOCUMENT LOCAL COMMUNITIES

  WASHINGTON (Oct. 14, 2008)—A group of Maine students will have the unique opportunity this month to document their communities of Vinalhaven and North Haven Islands under the direction of National Geographic contributing photographers Amy Toensing and Matt Moyer during a National Geographic Photo Camp. From Monday, Oct. 20, to Wednesday, Oct. 22, the high schoolers will photograph, edit and design a portrait of their experiences on the islands. The Photo Camp is presented in partnership with the Island Institute, an organization that supports the islands’ communities and helps preserve the region’s biodiversity.

  During the three-day workshop, the young photographers will explore the natural environment of the two geographically close island communities. Toensing and Moyer will brief the students on photographic vision, equipment and technique and guide them through the process of creating a story through photography and writing, working with cameras and laptop computers provided by National Geographic. The students will create a multimedia show, using the images, which will convey the students’ perception of the experience.

  Participants, their families and community members are invited to a presentation of the students’ work on Wednesday, Oct. 22, at 4 p.m. at Waterman’s Community Center, 12 Main Street, North Haven, and at 7 p.m. at Vinalhaven High School, 22 Arcola Lane, Vinalhaven.

  Following the Photo Camp, four students will be selected to be youth ambassadors for Pop!Tech, an acclaimed ideas summit held each fall in Camden, Maine, exploring the new ideas, technologies and forces of change shaping our future. During the conference, Oct. 23-25, the student ambassadors will have the opportunity to learn from and participate in sessions with eminent thought leaders and change agents. The student also will present their multimedia show from Photo Camp and photograph the Pop!Tech presenters and conference fellows. Their images from the conference will displayed during the Pop!Tech closing gala on Oct. 25.

  “We hope that Photo Camp 2008 will provide students with a unique lens on the world and help expand their awareness of the environment and their impact on it,” said Terry Garcia, National Geographic’s executive vice president, Mission Programs. “We are honored to participate in this endeavor.”

  The theme of the Photo Camp is environment and conservation, and the aim is to draw attention to youth perspectives on their generation’s connection to the natural world.

  EVOLT SLR cameras for the Photo Camp have been provided by Olympus Imaging America Inc. Memory cards have been donated to the Photo Camp program by PNY Technologies.

  In addition to Toensing’s work for National Geographic magazine, she has covered editorial assignments for various national and international publications and private corporations since 2000. Her photographic stories intimately render the lives of ordinary people, and her images have received honors in International Pictures of the Year competitions. In 2003 Toensing was named Photographic Alumni Fellow at The Salt Institute for Documentary Studies, where she worked on a portrait of Muslim teenage girls living in Western culture.

  Moyer’s photographic work in Egypt, New York City and Iraq focuses on the people behind the news story, and he was named a Knight-Wallace Journalism Fellow for the 2007-2008 academic year at the University of Michigan.

  National Geographic Missions Programs is sponsoring other Photo Camps this year in Taos, N.M.; Rajasthan, India; Chesapeake Bay; Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, S.D.; Costa Rica; Appalachian Trail; New York City; Santa Monica, Calif., and Miami, in partnership with VisionWorkshops of Annapolis, Md. Visit nationalgeographic.com/photocamp for more information.

  The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. It reaches more than 325 million people worldwide each month through its official journal, National Geographic, and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 9,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program combating geographic illiteracy. For more information, visit nationalgeographic.com.

  The Island Institute is a membership-based nonprofit that serves as a voice for the balanced future of the islands and waters of the Gulf of Maine, particularly the 15 year-round island and working-waterfront communities along the Maine coast. More information is available at islandinstitute.org.

  Pop!Tech is a renowned ideas summit and social innovation network dedicated to accelerating the positive impact of world-changing people and ideas. The organization is known for its visionary Pop!Tech conferences, engaging media productions and the innovative social change programs that it fosters worldwide. “Pop!Tech 2008: Scarcity and Abundance” will be held Oct. 23-25, 2008, in Camden, Maine, and will be simulcast live on www.poptech.org.