Announcing 2010 World Learning photo contest winners!

Congratulations to Tonia Hauser and Samuel Powers, the winners of the 2010 World Learning photo contest. Their photos capture the rich cross-cultural interactions that are a hallmark of World Learning programs.

Grand prize winner: "Rwandan Peace Baskets" by Tonia Hauser

Hauser, the grand prize winner, took the photo “Rwanda Peace Baskets” while learning the art of basket weaving from a group of Rwandan women. According to Hauser, the baskets symbolize a “new beginning and everlasting peace” in the country following the 1994 Rwanda genocide.

She participated in the Uganda: Post-Conflict Transformation Studies program, which brought her to neighboring Rwanda for two-weeks to study post-genocide restoration. Her photo reflects the power of education and exchange as a tool to build bridges across cultures.

Grand prize runner-up: Bolivia "La Orilla" by Samuel Powers

Samuel Powers’ camerawork earned him the grand prize runner-up. His photo, titled “La Orilla,” was selected for its energy and spirit that epitomize World Learning exchanges. He took the photo while studying abroad on the Bolivia: Multiculturalism, Globalization, and Social Change program.

“During my study abroad I established firm relationships and gained an appreciation for another culture,” Powers said.

The World Learning photo contest is an annual contest that draws over 1,000 photo entries from alumni of The Experiment in International Living, SIT Study Abroad and SIT Graduate Institute. Photos are judged on their ability to capture the essence of intercultural exchange and experiential education that are hallmark’s of World Learning programs. The Grand prize and 2nd prize winners win $500 and $300 travel vouchers, respectively. 

For more information visit www.worldlearning.org/photocontest. Take a look at all the 2010 photo contest winners.