Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship

Deadline:  Oct. 23, 2024, 11:59 PM PST

$1,200 Cash Award

Apply if you are an aspiring journalist. Scholarship will include a $1,200 cash award, and a mentor who works as a journalist in the Pacific Northwest. 

For 40 years, the Northwest Journalists of Color have coordinated scholarships for aspiring journalists. The NJC’s members belong to the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), Seattle Association of Black Journalists (SABJ), PeriodistasNW (NAHJ) and the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA). Since 1983, the NJC and AAJA have awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships.

You do not need to identify as a student of color to apply for this scholarship. Strong preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the importance of diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences in newsrooms. You are eligible for these scholarships if you are EITHER:

• On the path to graduating from or have graduated from a Washington state high school
  OR
• Attending a public or private college in Washington state

Click here to apply

Northwest Journalists of Color Visual Journalism Scholarship

Deadline:  Oct. 23, 2024, 11:59 PM PST

DSLR camera kit valued between $2,500-$5,000

Apply if you are an aspiring photo and/or video journalist. You will receive a professional DSLR camera kit (average value between $2,500 – $5,000) to help launch their career. (Average value $2,500 – $5,000)

The NJC Visual Journalism Scholarship will be awarded to an aspiring photo and/or video journalist who meets the same eligibility criteria for the NJC Scholarship. One recipient will receive a used professional camera kit, donated by The Seattle Times Photo Department, to help launch their career.

You are eligible for these scholarships if you are EITHER:

• On the path to graduating from or have graduated from a Washington state high school
  OR
• Attending a public or private college in Washington state

Click here to apply

AAJA Seattle Founders’ Scholarship

Deadline:  Oct. 23, 2024, 11:59 PM PST

Up to $1,500 to attend the AAJA Convention depending on need.

Apply if you’d like to attend the 2025 national Asian American Journalists Association convention in Seattle. Recipients will receive up to $1,500 to cover expenses depending on need.

The Founders’ Scholarship was established in 2000 to honor Frank Abe, Ron Chew and Lori Matsukawa, founders of the AAJA Seattle chapter in 1985. The Founders’ Scholarship covers fees to attend the 2024 national Asian American Journalists Association convention. Recipients receive up to $1,500 to cover expenses depending on need.

You are eligible for these scholarships if you are EITHER:

• On the path to graduating from or have graduated from a Washington state high school
  OR
• Attending a public or private college in Washington state

All NJC winners will be awarded the Founders scholarship.

Click here to apply

Northwest Journalists of Color Scholarship

Deadline:  Sunday, June 30, 2024, 11:59 PM PST

$1,200 Cash Award

Apply if you are an aspiring journalist. Scholarship will include a $1,200 cash award, and a mentor who works as a journalist in the Pacific Northwest. 

For 40 years, the Northwest Journalists of Color have coordinated scholarships for aspiring journalists. The NJC’s members belong to the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA), Seattle Association of Black Journalists (SABJ), PeriodistasNW (NAHJ) and the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA). Since 1983, the NJC and AAJA have awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships.

You do not need to identify as a student of color to apply for this scholarship. Strong preference will be given to applicants who demonstrate an understanding of and commitment to the importance of diverse cultural backgrounds and experiences in newsrooms. You are eligible for these scholarships if you are EITHER:

• On the path to graduating from or have graduated from a Washington state high school
  OR
• Attending a public or private college in Washington state

Click here to apply

Northwest Journalists of Color Visual Journalism Scholarship

Deadline:  Sunday, June 30, 2024, 11:59 PM PST

DSLR camera kit valued between $2,500-$5,000

Apply if you are an aspiring photo and/or video journalist. You will receive a professional DSLR camera kit (average value between $2,500 – $5,000) to help launch their career. (Average value $2,500 – $5,000)

The NJC Visual Journalism Scholarship will be awarded to an aspiring photo and/or video journalist who meets the same eligibility criteria for the NJC Scholarship. One recipient will receive a used professional camera kit, donated by The Seattle Times Photo Department, to help launch their career.

You are eligible for these scholarships if you are EITHER:

• On the path to graduating from or have graduated from a Washington state high school
  OR
• Attending a public or private college in Washington state

Click here to apply

AAJA Seattle Founders’ Scholarship

Deadline:  Sunday, June 30, 2024, 11:59 PM PST

$1,500 to attend the AAJA Convention.

Apply if you’d like to attend the 2024 national Asian American Journalists Association convention. Recipients will receive $1,500 to cover expenses.

The Founders’ Scholarship was established in 2000 to honor Frank Abe, Ron Chew and Lori Matsukawa, founders of the AAJA Seattle chapter in 1985. The Founders’ Scholarship covers fees to attend the 2024 national Asian American Journalists Association convention. Recipients receive $1,500 to cover expenses.

You are eligible for these scholarships if you are EITHER:

• On the path to graduating from or have graduated from a Washington state high school
  OR
• Attending a public or private college in Washington state

All NJC winners will be awarded the Founders scholarship.

Click here to apply

The Seattle Association of Black Journalists, PeriodistasNW and AAJA Seattle established a Northwest Journalists of Color Training Fund in 2023 to raise and disperse funds to professional journalists of color to use for training, including conventions, workshops, seminars, etc. 
Who is eligible?: Members of journalist of color organizations like SABJ, PeriodistasNW, IJA (formerly NAJA), AMEJA, SAJA etc. 
Note for AAJA members: We have a separate fund for AAJA Seattle and that application process is closed. 

To apply for a stipend, fill out the application below by April 15. 

APPLY HERE

Decisions will be made by April 20. Award amounts will be up to $1,000 based on the number of applications and funds available for distribution. To donate to the fund, https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-training-for-nw-journalists-of-color.

The Seattle Association of Black Journalists, PeriodistasNW and AAJA Seattle established a Northwest Journalists of Color Training Fund to raise and disperse funds to professional journalists of color to use for training, including conventions, workshops, seminars, etc. 

Who is eligible?: Northwest members of journalist of color organizations like SABJ, PeriodistasNW, NAJA, AMEJA. 
Note for AAJA members: We have a separate fund for AAJA Seattle and that application process is closed. Apply for a NJC Training Fund stipend here.

How much is the stipend?: Stipend awards will be up to $1,200, depending on number of applicants and financial need.

DEADLINE EXTENDED: To apply for a stipend, fill out the application by May 26. 

Decisions will be made by May 31. Award amounts will be based on number of applications and funds available for distribution. Donate or learn more.

APPLY FOR A STIPEND

Thanks to support from the AAJA Seattle 30th Anniversary Fund for Mid-Career Journalists, we are able to offer stipends to support Seattle chapter professional journalists who want to attend the 2023 AAJA Convention in Washington, D.C.

If you are an AAJA Seattle chapter member and a professional journalist, you are eligible to apply for up to $1,200 in support to attend the 2023 AAJA Convention in Washington, D.C, from July 19-23, 2023. The application deadline is May 1, 2023, and awards will be announced by May 15, 2023. The early bird convention registration deadline is May 31.

Application Deadline: May 1, 2023, 11:59 pm
Award Notification: by May 15, 2023
Early-bird Registration Deadline for Convention: May 31, 2023

To Apply: Complete this short application 

Mix and mingle with AAJA Seattle members and friends as you taste and savor delicious food, beer and wine.

About this event

After a two-year hiatus, the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA) Seattle is proud to bring back local chefs and guests for one of our favorite benefit events, Chef Showcase!

BASICS

Date: Monday, Aug. 29, 6-8:30 pm

Location: El Centro de la Raza’s Centilia Cultural Center in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood

TICKETS

Early bird rates: $40 for AAJA members; $50 for non members (order by Aug. 19)

Normal rates: $45 for AAJA members; $55 for non members (order by Aug. 28)

Students: $25 (order by Aug. 28)

Mix and mingle with AAJA Seattle members and friends as you taste and savor delicious food, beer and wine from our chefs and vendors, including:

• Lucky Envelope
• Young Tea
• Macadons
• Bai Tong
• Piroshky on 3rd

… with more to be announced soon!

We’ll also have a silent auction where you’ll have the chance to win fabulous prizes, from restaurant gift cards to spa gift packages!

Sneak peek at some silent auction items:

• $50 gift card to Ivars/Kidd Valley
• OOLA Distillery tour and tasting
• $185 gift certificate for a signature facial at SkinSpirit
• $100 gift card to Wild Ginger
• Handmade jewelry from GLDN

As always, proceeds from this signature event benefit the Seattle chapter of the Asian American Journalists Association, which provides scholarships for students and training programs for media professionals. In turn, our recipients strive to share high-quality informative and inclusive journalism for and about our communities.

COVID Safety: The safety of our guests is our highest priority. Centilia Center has walls that open to the outside, promoting air circulation. We are requiring guests be vaccinated and boosted. Please be ready to show proof of vaccination at check in. We are also requiring guests wear masks when not eating or drinking. We strongly encourage high quality masks, like KN95s, KF94s or N95s, over cloth masks.

President — Ramon Dompor

Ramon Dompor is a video journalist at The Seattle Times, where he produces character-driven stories in the Seattle community. Previously, he worked as a youth-filmmaking educator and freelance photographer, documenting climbing and biking trips in the mountains. He studied electrical engineering at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and currently serves as the chapter president of the Asian American Journalists Association in Seattle.

Vice Presidents for Events — Emily Eng, Dhiya Gerber

Emily M. Eng is the graphics editor at The Seattle Times where she leads the team in creating illustrations, graphics, maps and interactives for enterprise and daily stories. She works across the newsroom with multiple departments to cover subjects ranging from the environment to politics to sports. Trained as a science illustrator with a background in biology, she brings data and facts to life. Before joining The Seattle Times team, she worked at National Geographic Magazine and successfully runs a freelance illustration business.

Dhiya Gerber is a journalist and storyteller based in the greater Seattle area. Dhiya grew up in India and moved to New York for graduate school. After school she worked at Mashable, The Guardian, NowThis and Conde Nast. She is passionate about new forms of storytelling and experimenting with platforms. She is currently a producer at Microsoft.

Vice President for Programs — Soumita Bhattacharya

Soumita Bhattacharya is a visual storyteller based in the greater Seattle area. She works on stories of culture, identity, and performing arts. Some of her past roles using visual art for social impact include programming lead of the virtual reality segment of the largest US-based South Asian film festival (Tasveer, Seattle), independent curator for Just Another Photo Festival (JAPF, India) bringing photography to blue-collar and inner city areas. Her work has been published in major newspapers in India, and in books and magazines on dance. Soumita is a graduate of the Documentary Photography and Photojournalism program at the International Center of Photography in NYC.

Treasurer — Sarah Wallace

Thanks to training opportunities from AAJA, Sarah Eden Wallace made the leap from 25 years as a newspaper and magazine editor to entrepreneurial multimedia journalism (see www.fallingstarstudio.info). So she appreciates serving on the Seattle chapter board and opening doors for up-and-coming journalists of color.

Secretary — Mohammed Kloub

Mohammed Kloub (or Moh to most people) is the audience engagement editor at Crosscut, where he looks for creative ways to connect the Seattle and Washington state communities with the publication’s journalism. Before Crosscut, Moh worked at The Seattle Times as an engagement editor and news producer, and interned at The Chicago Tribune reporting on crime and breaking news. Unsurprisingly, he loves to tweet. He has a been a member of AAJA since 2016 and wants to continue its tradition of supporting journalists of color in the Northwest.

National Board Representative — Amy Wong

Amy Wong is the features producer for The Seattle Times, focusing on audience engagement and digital strategy, and occasionally writing about K-Pop and snacks. She’s an alum of UW, and a Southern California native.

At-Large Board Members — Dahlia Bazzaz, Corinne Chin

Dahlia is an education reporter at The Seattle Times, where she covers K-12 schools in the Seattle area. Her work focuses primarily on how marginalized youth and their families experience public schools. She joined the AAJA Seattle Board in 2018. You can probably catch her at a School Board meeting or at Garlic Crush, her favorite place to eat shawarma in the city.

Corinne Chin is a Senior Video Journalist at The Seattle Times and the founder and leader of the newsroom’s Diversity & Inclusion Task Force. As a storyteller, she focuses on in-depth video projects like Beyond the Border, a series of visual stories exploring immigration and deportation supported by the International Women’s Media Foundation and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting; and Under Our Skin, an interactive documentary exploring the words we use – and misuse – to talk about race in America. She is a co-director of the Asian American Journalists Association’s Women and Non-Binary Voices, and she is a past president of AAJA Seattle, which you can join for dim sum in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District on the first Saturday of every month.