College Grants Available to Teen Travel Writers with New Merit Scholarship

May 16, 2012 - PRLog -- (New York, NY – May 17, 2012) Family Travel Forum, the award-winning resource for family vacation planners, announces its 6th annual FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship. The college grants, given in association with the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW), encourage teens to share their travel experiences in words and images.

The First Place winner receives a $1,000 cash grant and a vacation for four to Universal Orlando Resort. Cash prizes ($500 and $200) are given to the second and third place authors in the teen writing scholarship, and the work of 25 additional Honorable Mention nominees is rewarded with travel gifts and tickets to any Ripley's Believe It Or Not! museum. Winners of the Best Photography and Best Video scholarship grants receive photo-journalism merchandise, and all the top travel blogs are posted on Family Travel Forum’s site http://www.MyFamilyTravels.com.

“Family Travel Forum and SATW are proud to distribute college grants that promote teen literacy and travel for the sixth year," says FTF editor Kyle McCarthy. “We remain inspired by the great work of young travel bloggers and know it encourages the next generation of world travelers."

The merit scholarship contest is open to students ages 13 to 18 who are enrolled in a junior high, high school or homeschool program in the United States, Canada or American school abroad. Students are asked to submit a maximum 600-word essay on any type or any aspect of a trip they have taken in the last five years, along with a photo or video. For more information, eligibility, rules and scholarship applications, visit http://www.myfamilytravels.com/Teen_travel_writing

The 2012 FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholarship runs between April 16, 2012 and August 1, 2012. The winning students' work will be announced on November 1, 2012. For more information about all FTF college grants, travel stipends, and merit scholarships, visit http://www.myfamilytravels.com/Teen_travel_writing

Journalists may request a copy of FTF's “Travel Trends Among US Teenagers 2011” report based on data from the 2011 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship. http://www.myfamilytravels.com/teen_travel.html

About FTF
Family Travel Forum (FTF) has helped globetrotters who "Have Kids, Still Travel!" with print and online guides since 1996. FTF sites have won many awards for their savvy tips and destination reviews; the Top 10 Getaway survey of resort-based infant programs; a robust Flee Market™; travel forums and the www.MyFamilyTravels.com online community. FTF’s “The Complete Idiots Guide to the Best Family Destinations” (Penguin, 2011) is in bookstores now.

About SATW
The Society of American Travel Writers was established in 1955, and its more than 1,200 members include journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media specialists, film lecturers, television and film producers, and travel industry public relations representatives. Their dedication and experience represent SATW’s commitment to journalistic integrity and credibility. SATW truly comprises “Travel’s Most Trusted Voices.”

About Universal Orlando Resort
There are many ways to enjoy your Orlando vacation, but there is only one place where vacation becomes adventure:  Universal Orlando Resort. It is a unique destination featuring two theme parks, three magnificently themed on-site hotels and a nighttime entertainment complex. It’s the only Orlando destination where you are not just entertained – you become part of the most exhilarating entertainment ever created. You can soar above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swing above the streets with Spider-Man, battle aliens alongside Agent J, and help Shrek save Princess Fiona in Shrek 4-D. Coming this summer:  Despicable Me Minion Mayhem. Universal Orlando Resort is owned and operated by NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies.