National Geographic Photo Camp to Mentor Young Photographers in Sarajevo

WASHINGTON (June 4, 2015)-A group of Bosnian youth will have the opportunity to tell their stories through photography during National Geographic Photo Camp Sarajevo, June 11-16, 2015. The camp will highlight the commonalities and issues shared by young people in Bosnia and Herzegovina, 20 years after the Dayton Accords were signed.

Photo Camp is conducted in partnership with Internews, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the U.S. Embassy in Sarajavo's Office of Public Affairs. The camp participants, aged 14-19, will be mentored by National Geographic contributing photographer Stephanie Sinclair along with editors and trainers Jeanne Modderman, Ross Goldberg, Jim Webb and Jake Rutherford.

The six-day workshop will provide the students with the skills to become visual storytellers in their own communities. Through practical training, these young people will have the opportunity to document and share, through photography, the aspects of their community and country that they value most - from nature and the environment, to humor and spirit, to multi-ethnicity and culture. The workshop will culminate with a multimedia presentation of the students' work at a local exhibition center on Tuesday, June 16, at 3 p.m.

Photo Camp will bring together Bosnian teenagers from different ethnic groups and cultures, and give them the opportunity to collaborate on a joint project in an enlightening and unifying learning environment - transcending the positions and regional attitudes that have kept them apart. The camp will encourage the young photographers to explore each other's lives, document shared values and create meaningful visuals that inspire and build trust.

We hope Photo Camp Sarajevo will provide these young photographers with a creative outlet to share their unique perspectives, said Terry Garcia, National Geographic's chief science and exploration officer. National Geographic believes in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. We've found that Photo Camp inspires a new generation of storytellers as well as the members of the community who view their work.

Olympus Imaging America Inc. supplies cameras for the Photo Camp. Since the inception of the program in 2003, National Geographic Photo Camp has provided programs for more than 1,500 young people in 68 locations around the world. This year, Photo Camps have also taken place in South Sudan and Jordan. For more information on these Photo Camps, visit:

http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/21/life-through-the-lens-of-syrias-uprooted-teens/

http://proof.nationalgeographic.com/2015/01/12/peace-building-with-cameras-in-south-sudan/.

About the National Geographic Society

National Geographic is a global nonprofit membership organization driven by a passionate belief in the power of science, exploration and storytelling to change the world. Each year, we fund hundreds of research, conservation and education programs around the globe. Every month, we reach more than 700 million people through our media platforms, products and events. Our work to inspire, illuminate and teach through scientific expeditions, award-winning journalism and education initiatives is supported through donations, purchases and memberships. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com and find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+, YouTube, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About Internews

Internews is an international nonprofit media development organization whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to give people the news and information they need, the ability to connect and the means to make their voices heard. Formed in 1982, Internews has worked in more than 90 countries and currently has offices in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and North America. Internews is currently implementing USAID's five-year project in Bosnia-Herzegovina designed to strengthen independent media: www.internews.ba; www.internews.org.

About USAID

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is the relief and development assistance arm of the U.S. government. Since the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1994, the U.S. government, primarily through USAID, has spent more than $1.6 billion to improve the lives of citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina and help lay the foundations for a bright future. U.S. government assistance has helped to accomplish post-war reintegration and development, economic restructuring, and progress towards democracy and governance.

LINK:	http://press.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/04/national-geographic-pho...
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