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Programs

The following are programs, fellowships, scholarships, benefits, and other services for our members:



Training fellowships
Journalism Training Course Offered in China - The Reuters Foundation, in collaboration with the Iowa-based Stanley Foundation, is accepting applications from US journalists to participate in an all-expenses-paid journalism training course in Beijing, China, November 10-14. The program will pair six American journalists with six Chinese journalists in a weeklong course designed to help reporters develop international news writing skills for US and Chinese audiences. Guest speakers, reporting field trips, and classroom training will be an integral part of the course. China's rise as a global power and connections to the US will be explored with reporting on manufacturing; energy and commodity consumption; a changing Chinese society; and China's growing political, media, and economic linkages to the world. The course is aimed at full-time print and broadcast reporters from the United States and China with a minimum of three years experience in journalism. Economy-class airfare, visa fees, housing accommodations and some meals will be provided. Participating US journalists will be encouraged to explore connections to China in their local communities and file stories based on the reporting they conduct in Beijing. This marks the fourth collaboration between the Reuters Foundation and Stanley Foundation. Previous courses have been held in Beirut, Lebanon, and Mumbai, India. The deadline to apply is Sept. 12. Participants will be selected by The Reuters Foundation. For more information and to apply online, visit www.reuterslink.org/courses/ WIN_stanleyF_Beijing_Nov08.htm. About The Reuters Foundation: Reuters Foundation is the charitable arm of Reuters, the world's largest multimedia news agency, which is internationally respected for its fast, accurate, and impartial reporting. Reuters Foundation has shared these reporting skills for more than two decades by providing training for journalists in a wide range of specialized reporting fields, including international news coverage, writing business news, working in conflict zones, and writing about environmental issues. Online at www.reuterslink.org. About The Stanley Foundation: The Stanley Foundation is a nonpartisan, private operating foundation, located in Muscatine, Iowa, that focuses on peace and security issues and advocates principled multilateralism. It seeks a secure peace with freedom and justice, built on world citizenship and effective global governance. It brings fresh voices, original ideas, and lasting solutions to debates on global and regional problems. Online at www.stanleyfoundation.org.

Student Scholarship
Kim Thai, of Katy, is this year's AAJA Texas student scholarship winner of $1,000. Residents of Texas or students attending college in the state are eligible to apply for the annual scholarship, to further their journalism education at the college level. Click here for details.

Professional Stipend
The Texas AAJA chapter offers a $1,000 professional stipend for working journalists to be applied to costs related to professional development -- skills and leadership training, workshops, seminars, etc. The deadline to apply has passed. Click here for an application for the next stipend. For more information, please contact board member Alison Cox or Scholarship Committee chair Aman Batheja.

Mentoring Program
Want to help young journalists find their way the fast-changing news business? AAJA is looking for mid-careers journalists to mentor students and young professionals. Mentors would agree to be in contact with their student throughout the year, by phone and email, working to meet in person at least once. Mentors would also be available to do critiques of resumes, portfolios and work samples, talk about job strategies, and generally be a sounding board for navigating the news business. Mentoring is open to print and broadcast students and journalists with fewer than 3 years of experience. Mentoring for students interested in a communications or public relations field is also available. Mentoring terms would last for a minimum of one year, with extensions available by request. If you're a young journalist and would like to be matched with a mentor, let us know if you're interested. Contact Mizanur Rahman.

State Conference 2008
CHECK OUT THE SPECIAL SECTION FOR MORE DETAILS! The Texas state conference on Saturday, April 26 from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the University of Houston Communications building focused on skills and industry changes. Houston-based freelance writer Cynthia Greenwood was on the list of the guest speakers offering skills-building workshops. Greenwood, author of "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare's Plays," and a contributor to The New York Times and The Houston Chronicle, will be offering tips on making the transition to a freelance-writing career. She is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, a non-fiction writers' association. The theme for the state conference was "Navigating Change." Conference organizers worked with Investigative Reporters and Editors and Lone Star EMMY, as well as the ASJA, to offer workshops that will help journalists navigate the changing media landscape. Planned workshops included: The New Media Journalist's Backpack, Content that Works, Immigration on Every Beat, and Getting into Freelancing. During the conference, the chapter also held a media access workshop for the Asian-American community in Houston.

State Conference 2006
AAJA Texas held its 2006 state conference in Austin. Here is a tipsheet you can take away from some of our great speakers!

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