University Student Contests: Thoughts For Food Challenge 2015

By the year 2050, the population of the world will be 9billion people: and feeding these people may be a major challenge. Hence a need for a #TFF Approach.

What is TFF?

TFF is a movement dedicated to tackling the global challenge of feeding 9 billion people through bold, breakthrough solutions.

The 2015/16 Thought For Food Challenge calls on the world's best and brightest university students to form teams and develop breakthrough projects that address the global challenge of feeding 9 billion people by 2050.
In return, we provide a platform for you to shine, cutting-edge learning tools and resources, world-class mentorship from rockstar experts, innovators and entrepreneurs, the chance to win a trip to the inspirational TFF Global Summit as well as significant funding for your project. You'll also join a growing global movement, comprised of friends and supporters who share your passion to make the world a better place.

How it works

1. Sign up now!

Sign ups are open on a rolling basis (you can sign up anytime between April 23, 2015 and December 1, 2015). However, Round 1 pitches are due on December 1, 2015 at 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time and you should maximize the time you have to work on your project).

2. Form your team

Create a team of 3-5 university students and add them to your team page.

3. Work on Round 1

Take advantage of the many tools available to you to come up with aground breaking idea (such as the TFF Design Lab).

 

4. Submit your pitch!

The deadline to submit your project is December 1, 2015 at 12:00 AM Pacific Standard Time.

5. Ten Finalist Teams Announced

The Finalists will move on to Round 2 and will win a trip to the TFF Global Summit, get invited to join the TFF Bootcamp, and be in the running for the $10,000 Grand Prize.

6. Work on Round 2

Finalists will work through an online, business building crash course to hone their business model.

7. TFF Bootcamp

As a TFF Challenge Finalist, you are invited to join the TFF Bootcamp in March 2016 (1 week highly rewarding startup building experience).

8. Final Pitch

Pitch your idea on stage at the TFF Global Summit and compete for the $10,000 Grand Prize and $5,000 Runner Up Prize.

9. Enjoy lasting benefits

Remain involved with the TFF global community of movers and shakers and stay in the spotlight! (of course this applies whether you win or not).
Prizes every step of the way 

THE DEADLINE IS DECEMBER 1ST, 2015

For more information:

http://tffchallenge.com/challenge

Announcing: the #Forests2015 photo competition

Enter the Forests and People Photo Contest to help raise awareness about the importance of forests for people today and for generations to come, and you could win a trip to the Congress! All photo entries should feature both forests (or forest products) and people.
Award-winning Magnum Photos photographer Stuart Franklin will lead the jury. Franklin is perhaps best known for his celebrated photograph of a man defying a tank in Tiananmen Square, China, in 1989, as well as his photographic essay The Time of Trees, which examines the social relationship between nature and society.
The prize for the winner will be a trip to the Congress (travel, accommodation and registration fee), as well as a portfolio review by Stuart Franklin. The winning photograph and 15 runners-up will also feature in a XIV World Forestry Congress calendar.

Deadline: 21 June 2015

For more info:

Eligibility, FAQs and Submission http://bit.ly/1LfF66q

Join #Forests2015 social media team!

Are you familiar with things like “Twitter”, “Facebook”, “blogging”, “vlogging”, “podcasting”,…? Join us!
Or if those words sound like gibberish to you, well… you are welcome too!
Experienced social media users, professionals, volunteers, journalists as well as novices are equally welcome in the social media team of the XIV World Forestry Congress (#Forests2015) held in Durban (South Africa), on 7-11 Sept 2015…
We are assembling a large team of social media volunteers to support the conference. The volunteers can participate either online, or at the event itself.

Our team is a mixture of professionals and young volunteers. Some work for the organisations participating in the Congress and others work for our partners or other organisations. Most of our social reporters, though, are social media enthusiasts, who contribute to our social media outreach through their own networks. Some of our volunteers are present at the Congress itself, but many are supporting us remotely in various social media activities, ranging from writing or editing blogposts, uploading videos and pictures, spreading different content pieces via Twitter, Facebook, etc..
Our social reporters coordinate their activities via an online Google Group discussion forum, and have already started their work for the event. Each contributes whatever they can into the discussions, dependent on their time availability, expertise and eagerness… The real exciting part is “while doing, we learn”: having such a large and diverse social reporting team, gives us a wealth of experience, which allows our social reporters to learn from each other.
You don’t have to fulfill any criteria to be part of our social reporting team, other than being enthusiastic about our causes: forestry, agroforestry, sustainable development, natural research management, … Even if you can’t come to the event itself, you can still participate online. You’ll be able to contribute to the group’s discussions, help with the social media outreach, or even report via one of our live webcasts! Interested? Send our social media coordinator an email: Peter Casier – p.casier(at)cgiar(dot)org – and we’ll plug you into our team!


Are you a professional communicator? Join our Social Media Bootcamp!
 If you are a professional communicator working for an organisation or institute participating in the Congress, and plan to attend the Congress, we’re happy to integrate you into our onsite social media team, reporting live from the Congress! To help you prepare, we are offering a free Social Media Bootcamp prior and during the Congress. (Check here for more details)

Can you capture CORRUPTION with a picture?

 

Corruption has devastating effects that can be difficult to illustrate. But images are also powerful tools in raising awareness and bringing about change. So we are looking for photos that show how corruption affects people’s lives.

Contest theme:
Illustrate the negative effects that corruption has on your world.

What can you win?

There will be three winners in each of the two categories, plus the chance for runners up to have their work published on both the Transparency International and Thomson Reuters Foundation websites.
The two age categories are: (1) 18-30 years old* and (2) 31 years old and older.
The jury will award three winners in each category:

• 1^st prize: A paid trip to Malaysia to participate in the 16th International Anti-Corruption Conference (2-4 September 2015) and participation in a Thomson Reuters Foundation Photo Journalist course. The all-expenses paid course will combine theory with practical work, and a focus on building a portfolio worthy of publication on the Reuters news wire.
• 2^nd prize: €500
• 3^rd prize: €250

The photographic work of all winners and seven runners-up in each category will be published on the Transparency International website and the Thomson Reuters Foundation website.
* The competition youth category is in memory of Jesse Garcia who passed away in 2013. He was dedicated to bringing to life the work of Transparency International in images.
The deadline for submissions is 12 June 2015.
The winners will be announced in July 2015.

Whether you’re a student who photographs as a hobby, a professional photographer or are just looking for inspiration to use your new camera– we encourage everyone* to apply.
In order to be an eligible participant of the photo competition, applicants MUST:

• Be 18 years old or older on 15 July 2015.
• Submit a photo in digital format and which meets the criteria set out in the Guidelines/How to enter section below. No print or video submissions will be accepted.

(*Employees or those associated with Transparency International and its chapter affiliates are ineligible to apply for the competition as are employees of Thomson Reuters and Thomson Reuters Foundation.)
Guidelines:

• The deadline for submissions is 12 June 2015. There is no fee associated with entering the competition.
• Each entrant may submit a maximum of 3 photos, in digital formats (JPEG/GIF/TIFF). We will also accept mobile photo entries.
• The maximum file size is 10mb per photo.
• Minimum resolution of 300 DPI is required.
• The relevant age category as outlined previously must be selected.
• Photo submissions must be unpublished.
• By submitting an entry, the contestant confirms that he/she owns the right to all his/her photo(s), including intellectual property, and that the rights of a person or persons included in his/her photo(s) (subject) have not been violated. This is further addressed in the Terms and Conditions section.
• Entries depicting violence, racism or pornography will result in immediate disqualification.
• Captions are critical. Each photo must be accompanied with a short conceptualisation caption (maximum 600 characters). Well-written captions are needed so that judges understand the context of the image. Only captions in English, French, German and Spanish languages will be accepted for the entry to the competition.

Mauritius-Africa Scholarships 2015: CALL FOR APPLICATIONS

The Government of Mauritius is offering scholarships to 50 students from African States for full time undergraduate studies at any public tertiary education institution duly registered with the Tertiary Education Commission.

The Scholarship will cover a grant of up to MUR 100,000 per academic year for the duration of the programme to each student.
It will  cover these costs

• University fees and charges
• Economy class air fare from and to the country of origin of the student by the most economical route at the start and end of the studies
• A monthly stipend of MUR 8,300 for subsistence allowance. 

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for the scholarship,
students should have obtained a conditional offer in a course of undergraduate degree level at a public tertiary education institution in Mauritius. The duration of the award will be up to four years and the age limit for eligibility is above 18 years and below 25 years.

Applications shall be made through the Ministry of Education of the country of applicant on the prescribed format with the necessary supporting documents by 30 June 2015. 

The detailed guidelines and application form for the scholarships are available at: www.studymauritius.info/MauritiusAfricaScholarships.aspx and
www.ministry-education.govmu.org.

 The deadline is 30 June 2015.

If you want to apply, click on the link below

• Application Form Mauritius Scholarships to Africa
• Guidelines for Applicants

 For more info

Ministry of Education and Human Resources, Tertiary Education and Scientific Research
MITD House
Phoenix
Mauritius
Tel: (230) 601 5200
Fax: 6975346
Website: www.ministry-education.govmu.org

Call for Applications: AWDF’s 2015 ‘Writing for Social Change’ Workshop for African Women

The African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF) in collaboration with FEMRITE – Uganda Women Writers Association, invites African women writers and journalists to apply for the Writing for Social Change Workshop 2015. This 10-day writing workshop, will be taking place in Uganda from July 27 to August 5, 2015.

The workshop will be facilitated by veteran BBC journalist and media expert Elizabeth Ohene from Ghana and award-winning writer Yewande Omotoso, from Nigeria/South Africa/Barbados.

This workshop is targeted at women writers, journalists and activists who wish to step-up their involvement in highlighting issues around women’s rights and social justice. Participants will be expected to read widely from assigned selected texts, and to complete daily writing exercises. After the workshop, the participants are expected to use the knowledge acquired to write widely about social justice issues in and beyond their communities.

This workshop is part of AWDF’s efforts to amplify African women’s voices and is aimed at creating a network that will enable participants to place their articles and stories in a range of local, regional and international media.

Priority will be given to interested women journalists who wish to actively engage in women’s activism – we are expecting at least 50% of the writers selected for this workshop to be full-time journalists. We will also include women from AWDF’s existing grantee organisations, and within our partner networks.

Full accommodation, meals and a partial travel grant will be provided to all successful applicants. All applicants will be expected to be present for the ten-day duration of the workshop. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed by successful applicants to enable smooth running of the workshop.

Application Guidelines

1. Deadline for submission is May 31 2015. Only those accepted to the workshop will be notified by June 5,  2015.
2. To apply send an e-mail to; communications@awdf.org.
3. E-mail subject should read ‘Application for Social Justice Workshop 2015’
4. The body of the e-mail should contain the following:
   a) Your Name
   b. Your Email Address
   c. A short bio (maximum 200 words)
   d. A sample article about women’s rights or social justice -between 500 and 1000 words. The sample maybe unpublished or published on any media. This can be sent as an attachment or as part of the email body especially if it has images.
5. AWDF will not be responsible in case of any plagiarism.

Culled from http://www.awdf.org/call-for-applications-awdfs-2015-writing-for-social-change-workshop-for-african-women/

Wanted: Young, passionate people to speak up at the World Forestry Congress

We are looking for passionate and inspiring youth speakers to make a TEDx-style presentation at the youth special event during the XIV World Forestry Congress. If you are involved in a youth-led initiative or project established and run by young people to engage communities, we want to hear from you!

There are three/four slots to fill. We will pay your travel, accommodation and registration costs for the full week of the Congress, 7-11 September, in Durban, South Africa.

Who can apply?

Are you:

• 18–35 years old? (this includes students and young professionals in this age group)
• Actively involved in a youth-led initiative or project created to benefit people, forests and the environment?
• Interested in sharing your success stories and lessons learned with the global forestry audience?
• Interested in having your project/initiative profiled at the XIV World Forestry Congress?

If the answers to the questions above are YES, here is your chance to reach out to a global audience!

How to apply?

To be considered as a youth speaker, please prepare the following:

• a short informal video (no more than 5 minutes) introducing yourself and the project/initiative – this can be recorded on your cellphone, as it’s what you say and show that counts, not the video quality. You can post your video online and include a link in your submission, or attach the video file to your entry (max 10 MB).
• a short text about your initiative (no more than 400 words)
• a photo of yourself and any photos (no more than three) that show your project/initiative

You can submit your video, text and photos by email to yemi.adeyeye(at)fao.org with katherine.clyne(at)fao.org in copy.
Please put ‘Youth Speakers entry’ in the subject line.

Alternatively, entries can be sent by post to:
Yemi Adeyeye
Forestry Department
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Viale delle Terme di Caracalla
00153 Rome, Italy.

If you have already submitted a video as part of the Congress call for abstracts, please let us know and we will include it for review in your submission.

Selection process

All entries will be posted on the #Forests2015 blog. First-level selection will be based on the number of comments and “likes” that your entry attracts. Final selection will be based on the quality of the entry and made to ensure a diversity of speakers (gender, topic, language and continent).

Specifically we will look for:

• impact and or potential impact of youth-led initiatives
• Projects that adopt cross-sectorial or integrated land-use approaches (forestry, agroforestry, watershed etc.)
• projects that bring together young people of diverse backgrounds
• engaging stories

As we need to prepare speakers for the talk and arrange travel plans, selections will be made on a rolling basis, so speakers may be identified before the participation deadline. Apply early if you want to be considered for a speaker’s slot!

Even if you are not selected, we may share your videos and stories at youth events during the Congress. This is an excellent way to showcase your initiative with the world and promote your work and vision!

Key dates

15 June 2015: Participation deadline
30 June 2015: Notification of results

Check out more about youth participation at the Congress.

Contact

Yemi Adeyeye (Youth Liaison) – yemi.adeyeye(at)fao.org

Trust Women Scholarship 2015

The Trust Women Scholarship is part of the Trust Women Conference, hosted by the Thomson Reuters Foundation on 17-18 November 2015 in London, United Kingdom.
The Thomson Reuters Foundation and the sponsors of Trust Women will award scholarships to exceptional applicants from across the world. Scholarship selection will be based on an objective rating system developed by the scholarship review committee. The Trust Women Scholarship Programme funds leading women’s rights experts from across the world to attend the annual Trust Women conference.
This year, the Trust Women Conference will award up to 50 scholarships to applicants from diverse disciplines that will bring unique perspectives and help forge tangible commitments at Trust Women. For global leaders who want to connect and take action, the prestigious
 Trust Women Scholarship Programme offers access to an influential gathering of NGOs, heads of corporations, lawyers, public servants and philanthropists from around the world.
Eligibility Requirement: * The Trust Women Scholarship Programme is open to all applicants working in the areas of human trafficking, slavery in the supply chain, education and women’s rights. * Priority will be given to applicants from developing countries who will demonstrate their participation at Trust Women will enhance their work in their own communities.
 Scholarships will include:
* Free attendance at the Trust Women Conference, 17-18 November 2015, London, United Kingdom
* Financial bursary to support travel and accommodation costs (up to £1,000).
* Biography in the Trust Women Conference booklet
* Membership Trust Women scholarship alumni network



  *How to apply*
Scholarship applications will be open until Applications can only be received online.

 Apply Now here: http://www.trustwomenconf.com/about/scholarships/ 

For More Information: Visit the Official Webpage of the Trust Women Conference
Culled from http://www.trustwomenconf.com/about/scholarships/

Study Agriculture in Costa Rica for free

Scholarship Name: MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program
 Brief description: Earth University Costa Rica offers the MasterCard Foundation Scholarship program for Students from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean to study for undergraduate degrees in Agricultural sciences and Natural resources management 2015/2016

Accepted Subject Areas: Courses offered at the university which are mainly in Agricultural sciences and Natural resources management
 About Scholarship 
 EARTH University, Costa Rica has a seven-year partner with the MasterCard Foundation to provide scholarships to young leaders from disadvantaged communities in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean. Through the partnership, the Foundation will provide 120 undergraduate scholarships amounting to $19.5 million to EARTH students for 7 years. Approximately one-third of the scholars will come from Sub-Saharan Africa and the rest from Latin America and the Caribbean.

Scholarship Offered Since: 2012
Scholarship Type: undergraduate scholarships for African, Latin America and the Caribbean

Selection Criteria

EARTH-University-–-Costa-Rica Recipients of The MasterCard Foundation scholarships meet all of EARTH’s selection criteria. As part of the partnership agreement, the university seek to award these scholarships to qualified candidates whose financial circumstances would otherwise prevent them from attending university.
Eligibility The MasterCard Foundation Scholars Program targets talented but financially disadvantaged secondary and prospective undergraduate students from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean who are committed to giving back to their community in Africa.

 Number of Scholarships: A total of 120 scholarships will be awarded within 7 years
Value of Scholarship 
Recipients will receive their full education at no cost; Full tuition and other expenses.
Other benefits will include:
 Leadership development
Comprehensive scholarships
Support for transition to secondary school,
University or the workforce Life skills
Mentoring and counselling

Duration: Scholarship is for the full four duration of undergraduate study.

Eligible Countries: Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean
To be taken at (country): Earth University, Costa Rica
Application Deadline: 15 May 2015
Offered annually? Yes
How to Apply
The first step to receiving a scholarship from this program is to apply to EARTH by May 15. EARTH does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, ethnic origin, religion, gender or nationality in its education and admissions policy.

 Visit http://www.earth.ac.cr/en/support-earth/mastercardfdn/%C2%BFcomo-convertirse-en-un-becado-de-la-fundacion-mastercard/
 - See more at: http://www.afterschoolafrica.com/6696/mfsp-at-earth-university-costa-rica/#sthash.fiX10kDs.dpuf