The Correspondents Program is an exciting opportunity for talented young writers and photographers who will be abroad for at least 10 weeks. The program encourages participants to engage with people from other cultures, to seek out thought-provoking experiences, and to share their stories from abroad on Glimpse.org and through select National Geographic platforms.
We want all of the most talented young writers and photographers who are living abroad to be able to participate. With the support of our professional editorial staff, they will craft meaningful, insightful stories about their experiences abroad. Those stories are then shared with a very large audience through Glimpse.org and through select National Geographic platforms, thereby inspiring others to seek out meaningful experiences abroad and engage with people from other cultures.
Past Correspondents
We have thus far supported and helped to develop about 30 incredibly talented young, global storytellers through the program but we need your help to grow that number. The following are just two examples.
Adam Lichtenheld
As a Fall 2008 Glimpse Writing Correspondent, Adam explored Jordan’s underground gay nightlife and wrote about what it means to be a homosexual in a conservative Islamic society.
"In an interdependent society, diplomacy is far too important to be entrusted to political leaders and their proxies. As a traveler, writer and journalist, I have sought to do away with the superfluous, superficial and simplistic depictions of foreign places that dominate the "conventional wisdom," using my words to encapsulate the raw experience of being deeply and meaningfully engaged across cultures and communities. By putting a face on the statistics and the stereotypes, I've proposed a more personalized medium to help explain the complexities of our world. In my nomadic wanderings--from the jungles of East Africa, to the mountains of Western Europe, to the deserts of the Middle East--I’ve found a potent mixture of calm and calamity, and discovered that inspiration comes from the unknown, the unexplored and the misunderstood."
As a Fall 2008 Glimpse Photo Correspondent, Pete traveled to northern Uganda to hear the stories of internally-displaced Ugandans. He has the following to say about himself in his Glimpse profile:
"For as long as I can remember, I’ve been fascinated by stories. Through much of my life, I satisfied this interest through the study of history. The topics of war, uprising, social movements and sexuality defined my course of historical study at American University and generated a deep curiosity in the modern aspects of these issues. While the past enthralls me, my interest in creating modern primary documents ultimately won out. Since 2005, I have worked to document the individual consequences of war, poverty and struggle. Through a combination of photography, text, and audio recordings, I hope to illustrate broader issues through individual stories. I aim to create images and material that demand consideration for the lives of those depicted. I believe that intimate, sensitive photographs leave indelible marks on the conscience and actively oppose the sterilization of human suffering. I invite you to view samples of my work at www.petemullerphotography.com."
“The Glimpse Correspondents Program has been like a compass for my journey. It has guided me to places I might not have otherwise gone, and navigated me toward questions I might never have thought to ask. Although studying abroad is a life-altering experience in and of itself, diving into the adventure as a Glimpse Correspondent has allowed me to go even deeper, to look even closer, and to recognize that each day is a valuable story.” Josh MacIvor-Andersen, Spring 2008 Glimpse Correspondent -- Mexico Read Josh’s stories
“I was excited to have a motivation to get myself into interesting situations. I really enjoyed working on the cod fishing story—simply because it was an experience to go out on a cod-fishing boat for a week with a bunch of salty-dogs. Plus, I got to eat the cod eggs. Mmmm.” Ben Black, Spring 2008 Glimpse Correspondent -- Iceland Read Ben’s stories
“Glimpse has given me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and experience the real activities of people abroad. Some of the coolest things I’ve done so far in New Zealand have been on assignment for Glimpse. I’ve met some truly amazing people, and could not be happier with my experiences so far as a Photo Correspondent.” David Kelbe, Spring 2008 Glimpse Correspondent -- New Zealand Read David’s stories
“I’m very much aligned with Glimpse’s mission, and I was excited to have a venue to share my unique cultural experiences. I think it’s imperative that Americans learn to appreciate and value other cultures. I particularly enjoyed the writing experience and learning from my editor, as well as the open-ended themes I could cover in my stories.” Lauren Moloney, Spring 2008 Glimpse Correspondent -- Spain Read Lauren’s stories
“Over the course of the program, I learned some important lessons about revision. Even when my first drafts were utterly deformed, Glimpse editors helped me shape my experiences into readable stories. I'm grateful for their editorial support.” Joe Bookman, Spring 2008 Glimpse Correspondent -- China Read Joe’s stories
