PROJECT 306.36 VISUAL DOCUMENTARY PROJECT
Congratulations to Boyd’s Station 2025 Project 306.36 photographer Jordan Tovin from George Washington University, honored as College Photographer of the Year in the prestigious CPOY annual contest and the top student honor awarded the 2025 Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar Contest Rich Mahan Best Student Portfolio.
See Jordan’s CPOY winning portfolio here and Atlanta Photojournalism Seminar Contest winning student portfolio here.
The Boyd’s Station PROJECT 306.36 Visual Documentary Project is more than photography—it’s a living record of a community and a way of life at a pivotal moment in time. Each year, this landmark effort documents the heartbeat of Harrison County, Kentucky, capturing its people, landscapes, and everyday stories in a growing visual archive. Together, these images ensure that the character and spirit of the county are preserved and passed forward for generations to come.
Two promising student photojournalists are selected each year to participate in a 12-week immersive residency. They live here, free of housing costs, walking the streets, sitting at kitchen tables, listening to the voices of farmers, shopkeepers, and families whose stories rarely make the headlines.
This is more than an internship—it’s a masterclass in truth-telling. Weekly critiques from some of the most respected documentary photographers and journalists working today push participants beyond technical skill, teaching them to see with empathy, context, and a sense of history.
The vision follows in the footsteps of the Farm Security Administration’s legendary documentary project (1935–1944), which gave America an unflinching portrait of itself during the Great Depression. Just as those images became a cornerstone of the nation’s historical record, the photographs created through Project 306.36 will one day be a definitive chronicle of rural Kentucky in the early 21st century.
Every shutter click is a safeguard against forgetting. Every image becomes part of an enduring record that will inspire, educate, and connect people long after the last frame is taken. This is a project for those who believe history is worth saving—one photograph at a time.
SEE PROJECT 306.36 PHOTOGRAPHS BY ALL ALUMNI
Click on the image below to see selected work from the past Project 306.36 photographers
THE REINKE GRANT FOR VISUAL STORYTELLING
Ed Reinke, an award-winning Associated Press photographer and mentor to countless photojournalists over the years, died in 2011 following an injury he suffered while covering an Indy Car race at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, KY.
Boyd's Station awards this $3000 grant annually to an emerging visual storyteller offering them the gift of time to work on their craft while bringing them together with experienced professionals in a fitting tribute to a man who had a passion for supporting future generations of visual storytellers.
TIM DILLON GRANT FOR VISUAL STORYTELLING
Tim Dillon pass away on June 10, 2023 in Maricopa, AZ, where he had lived and served as the de facto mayor. He was 76. He was a fourth-generation native of Washington, DC, and lived most of his life there and in Maryland. Tim started his long news career during his active duty with the U.S. Air Force as the editor of the Stars and Stripes newspaper. Subsequently, he was a photojournalist for the Maryland Independent, the Washington Evening Star, and USA Today. Tim was a member of the White House Press Photographers Pool covering the Reagan, H.W. Bush, Clinton, and Bush administrations and served for a decade as Chairman of the Senate Press Photographers' Gallery. He covered wars in several countries and was nominated for a Pulitzer for his work in Somalia. He was an outstanding photographer who was well respected by his colleagues and was also very handsome.
Boyd's Station awards this $3000 grant annually to emerging visual storytellers with hopes that many future journalists are given opportunities and mentoring while honoring Tim’s dedication and journalism excellence.
MARY WITHERS RURAL WRITING FELLOWSHIP
The Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship was established to honor lifelong Boyd, Kentucky resident Mary Withers awarding $3000 to a student journalist to spend three months reporting from Harrison County, Kentucky.
Mary Elizabeth Withers, 69, passed away in 2018. A lifelong Harrison County resident, Mary was instrumental in the founding of Boyd’s Station serving as one of the founding board of directors. Mary was a passionate supporter of the historic Boyd Methodist Church, the arts, education, and Harrison County, Kentucky. She is truly missed.
PROJECT 306.36 SPONSORS
SPECIAL THANKS
Project 306.36 and the Reinke Grants for Visual Storytelling would not be possible without the generous and continued support of The Gannett Foundation and the Clyde N. Day Foundation and the Louisville Courier-Journal whose commitment to supporting community journalism endeavors and educational programs have been instrumental to the success of Boyd’s Station along with professional support from Think Tank Photo, and PhotoShelter the official provider of the Boyd's Station Project 306.36 archive, and Nikon Professional Services, which has supported the mission of Boyd’s Station from day one of this visual documentary project providing professional equipment and expert mentoring
QUESTIONS
Please contact Jack Gruber at jack@boydsstation.org with any questions or comments regarding the application process or general information regarding the Reinke Grant for Visual Storytelling, the Mary Withers Rural Writing Fellowship, or the Boyd’s Station Project 306.36.