Sunday, 16 December 2012

2013-2014 AU Emerging Global Leader Undergraduate Scholarship in USA

Description 

Fully-funded Scholarship open to international students at American University, USA. The AU Emerging Global Leader Scholarship promotes educational access and opportunity while enhancing international diversity. Bringing together the best of AU — academic excellence, leadership development, and global engagement — the AU Emerging Global Leader achieves, inspires, and serves with vision. The AU EGL is dedicated to positive civic and social change, and to returning home to improve under-resourced, underserved communities in his/her home country. 


Worth of Scholarship

The scholarship provides full tuition, fees, room and board for one first-year (freshman) high-achieving international student who will need a visa to study in the United States (preference will be for those who need an F-1 or J-1 student visa). 

It is renewable for a total of four years of undergraduate study, based on continued satisfactory academic performance. U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents or dual citizens of the U.S. and another country, are not eligible to apply. 

Eligibility 
To be considered for the scholarship, candidates must be secondary school students (not university students) applying as first-year (freshman) students for the fall (August) 2013 semester 

Students must apply Regular Decision only and must submit the AU EGLS application, the Common Application and AU Supplement, and all supporting documents by January 15, 2013 

Preference will be given to international students who have overcome various obstacles and challenges as well as those from diverse and under-represented global and socioeconomic backgrounds.
The most competitive applicants should have: 

A minimum 3.8 GPA equivalent (or in the top 10 percent of graduating class) for 9th-12th grades 

A demonstrated commitment to service and advancing the needs of people in their home country 

Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, with a minimum 90 TOEFL iBT (with no subscore lower than 20) or 6.5 IELTS (with no subscore lower than 6.0) 

Demonstrated leadership, volunteerism and community service 

How to Apply 

You are required to submit your application through the online common system. See link below. 

Deadline: 

January 15, 2013. All application materials must be submitted by this date. If you have any questions about applying, please contact intadm@american.edu. 

For information, and to apply, click here 

For a link to submit your application online, here 


 MAKULILO SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION 
CALIFORNIA, USA

2013 Harambe Fletcher Scholarships for African Students at Tufts University, USA

Eligibility:-Born in Africa and current passport holders of an African country -Exhibited entrepreneurial leadership in their field of interest -Two or more years of work experience -Hold a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent -Candidates must arrange to have official university transcripts, letters of recommendation and standardized test scores arrive at The Fletcher School by the appropriate application deadline.


How to Apply: By Online 

Subjects: Eligible Programs Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) 
A two-year, highly flexible, interdisciplinary, professional degree in international affairs 

Master of International Business (MIB) 
A two-year hybrid international business/ international affairs degree program

Level: Master 

Provider: Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance 

For Which Country: USA 

For Whom: International (Africa) 

Description: The Harambe Fletcher Scholarship is a full-tuition award for young African entrepreneurial leaders wishing to pursue a master program at The Fletcher School at Tufts University, starting in September 2013. The scholarship recipient will be announced at the Harambe Bretton Woods Symposium VI, April 5–8, 2013. 

Scholarship Benefits:-Full-tuition to attend a master program at the Fletcher School at Tufts University starting in September 2013-Invitation to the Harambe Bretton Woods Symposium -Recognition as an Associate of the Harambe Entrepreneur Alliance with all the benefits and privileges thereof 

Please note that the scholarship is limited to tuition fees. The recipient is responsible for all living expenses.

Deadline: December 30, 2012

SOURCEhttp://www.healliance.org/Harambe_Fletcher_Scholarship.pdf

MAKULILO SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION
CALIFORNIA, USA

Friday, 14 December 2012

What does it all mean?



As the holiday season ramps up, the meaning of it all is sometimes lost in the hustle and bustle. The calendar is packed full of parties, get-togethers and family gatherings. At times it can get very stressful to budget your time and keep your checking account balanced. All you need for some perspective is to attend a Simon Youth Academy graduation and meet the graduates, as well as the administrators and teachers charged with changing their futures. The stories of perseverance and fortitude bring everything back into perspective. 

Thursday evening a group of nine students received their diploma from the Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy. Each one had a different reason for attending, but all had the common goal of completing their high school education.

A special congratulations goes out to the newest class of graduates from Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy:

Ravinder Kaur
Auston McKinney
Laci Hall
Dustin Smock
Veronica Stone
Gina Hestand
Jared Birge
Chelsey Kent
Kilee Schoolcraft


Considering by the time you finish reading this article 15 more youth will decide to quit school, it is paramount we solve the issue of dropping out. The Simon Youth Academies throughout the United States offer a unique opportunity to complete the requirements for graduation at one’s own pace. Partnering with school districts, each of the 23 academies in 13 states help at-risk youth grow and become successful.

It’s not only the plethora of presents given and received, it’s about the intangible gifts like education which will last a lifetime. In the words of Nelson Mandela, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” These students will no doubt make a difference. 

We need your help to reach even more of these at-risk students so they can realize their dream of graduation. Please consider a tax-deductible year-end gift so we can continue our mission of igniting hope and allow more youth to start here and go anywhere. 

Thursday, 13 December 2012

Today is the Day!

All the work, effort and determination culminates today for a group of students at Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy. They will walk across the stage and receive their diploma. These at-risk youth took their challenges, stared them in the face, and said ‘you can’t stop me.’

At Simon Youth Foundation, and its academies across the United States, extensive efforts are made to ignite hope in students. Today more names will be added to the list of successful individuals. Every 29 seconds in this country a student drops out of school, but SYF can proudly say this month that more than 150 youth will earn their diploma at seven of the 23 academies.

Martin Luther King, Jr. said that “Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”

We are humbled to share this moment with brave young people who chose to turn the obstacles in their lives into opportunities for something better. Their character has been tested and they are now stronger because of their perseverance.

Today graduates, with high school diploma in hand, now have the opportunity to continue education at a two or four year institution, and earn as much as $350,000 more in their lifetime. SYF’s work is made possible by the strong support of the mall management team at Greenwood Park Mall and of the Clark-Pleasant Community Schools Corporation.

SYF has a vision for all of the students who enroll at Simon Youth Academies. It is Start here. Go Anywhere. This means that today is not a finish line. It is the start of something better. The work in the classroom has been completed, now the sky is the limit.

If you would like to attend the graduation tonight at 6:00 p.m., media or general public, please contact:

Thomas McAninch
Manager, Communications
317.640.2391
tmcaninch@simon.com

The Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy is located at:

129 U.S. Hwy 31, Whiteland, Indiana 46184

Tuesday, 4 December 2012

Academy Junior Selected for Massachusetts Governor Council

Hayley Patz (pictured third row, far right in pink) a junior at
Simon Youth Peabody Learning Academy at Northshore Mall,
Peabody, MA.
Governor Deval Patrick swore in new members to the Governor’s statewide Youth Council on Friday, including Peabody resident Hayley Patz. The 28 members, representing all 14 counties in Massachusetts, are the third Youth Council class and will serve for two years.

Governor Patrick established the Council by an executive order in April 2008 to encourage young people to become civically engaged in their local communities and help tackle the state's biggest challenges, including education reform, youth violence and anti-bullying, by assuming leadership roles.

“The progress Youth Council members have made over the past several years is remarkable, and I am confident that this amazing group of young people will carry on that tradition and leave the Commonwealth stronger for the next generation,” said Governor Patrick.

Members were selected by an application review committee for their excellence in leadership and their outstanding potential to create change in their communities. Members range from ages 14-20.

"One of my students, Hayley Patz  was interested in applying to be on this council," said Simon Youth Peabody Learning Academy at Northshore Mall Administrator Seith Bedard. "I agreed to become her sponsor and completed all of the paperwork. It was a rigorous process and the Governor received hundreds of applications. We found out last month that Hayley (a junior at the Academy) was selected to the council. We're all so proud of her."

The Youth Council will hold formal bi-monthly sessions and will advise the Governor as representatives of Massachusetts youth. In addition to their bi-monthly meetings, Youth Council members gather independently to share what they see in their communities and talk about how state government can partner with local communities to create solutions.

The first two classes of the Youth Council worked with the Administration to advocate for the passage of several important policy issues, including the Governor’s 2010 anti-bullying legislation.

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

The Need to Succeed

As a young student I was asked, “what do you want to be when you grow-up?” Countless ideas filled my head – an astronaut, teacher, athlete, artist – all with the idea that I could go anywhere and do anything. With unemployment and homelessness hitting highs not seen since the Great Depression, children today have been asked to grow up quicker. Many have few, if any, positive role models. Many are being forced to start making adult decisions earlier than preceding generations. Our political leaders have spent an inordinate amount of time arguing how our public school dollars are best used with only marginal results. This turmoil has trickled down to our kids. It has made high school expendable in some students’ eyes because the need to make money and help provide for the family has taken over. This sad reality is why we work hard every day at the Simon Youth Foundation.  

Alarming statistics further depict an urgent need for alternatives.
  • In America’s high schools, 7,000 students drop out every day totaling 1.2 Million annually – equal to the same number of jobs lost in the U.S. during 2008.
  • Over the course of a lifetime, each high school dropout costs the nation approximately $350,000 in lost earnings, taxes and productivity.
  • Taking the above statistics, today the United States lost $2.5 Million because these high school students decided to quit.
Igniting hope is paramount to navigating through these tough times. At Simon Youth Academies throughout the United States we are turning around the lives of at-risk youth. We partner with school districts and public school educators to help end the cycle of self-destruction. The resiliency and fire I see from our graduates is nothing short of remarkable when taking into account their individual stories of struggle.

One such example is a student named Abby. She currently attends the Simon Youth Clark Pleasant Academy in Whiteland, Indiana. In the traditional high school setting, she was hanging out with the wrong crowd making poor decisions. She quickly fell behind her classmates in all areas of studies and her ability to graduate was fading. A school counselor suggested to her that she go to the Simon Youth Academy.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do and school wasn’t clicking until I got to the Academy. I haven’t missed a day of school because of how engaging the teachers are and the pace of studies. I can go faster in subjects I’m strong in and slow down to get help in the others. Without this academy, graduation wasn’t a thought in my head. Even when I started people didn’t think I could do it and I’m proving everyone wrong.”

It’s at-risk youth like Abby who simply needed a chance to succeed. She’s not only going to graduate, she’s moving on to higher education where she plans to become a nurse. Boasting a 90% graduation rate, the Simon Youth Foundation offers this alternative to help high schools change the course of students whose challenges require extra attention.

This coming year, SYF will celebrate our 15th year and our 10,000th graduate. That is 10,000 lives changed through earning a high school diploma. At Simon Youth Foundation, we are proving these types of partnerships work, and we are serving as a national model. As a public charity, along with local school district partners and private entities, especially Simon Property Group and the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, we established a successful nationwide network of alternative schools for at-risk high school students that since 1998 has helped students earn a high school diploma.

SYF’s mission is for youth to start here and go anywhere. As I travel to each of our 23 academies in 13 states, I see this first hand. Our students no longer check off what they can’t do - they write down goals they want and can achieve.  It’s a new day filled with hopes and dreams for the future – all sparked by believing in the movement. What a fitting way to celebrate National Education Week.

In the words of William Butler Yeats, “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” We at Simon Youth Foundation work to be the ignition of the inferno within. Students start here and go anywhere.

Thursday, 15 November 2012

SYF Names New Manager of Communications


Simon Youth Foundation is proud to announce Thomas McAninch as the new Manager of Communications. He will be responsible for the Foundation’s efforts in developing and executing communication, marketing and public relations. McAninch’s focus on helping guide youth to live a principled life has been a staple since a young age. 

“I am humbled to have the opportunity to join such an amazing foundation,” said McAninch. “They have a dedicated team with unparalleled passion for igniting hope in youth. I relish the chance to tell the unique and remarkable story of SYF.”    

A graduate of Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ), Tom earned a degree in Broadcasting & Mass Communications. Since a young age, McAninch has been heavily involved in the non-profit community. He has fundraised and ran marathons with Team in Training (Leukemia & Lymphoma Society), St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Angelwish. He has served on boards for the Fraternity Communications Association, Hoosier Devils (Arizona State University Indiana Alumni Association), and the Indiana Chapter of Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. His career began at Tri-State News radio as a news director and led to becoming a Capitol Press Corps Reporter with Arizona News Radio. He joined Indianapolis based Tau Kappa Epsilon International Fraternity in 2005 as a Communications Coordinator. He was subsequently promoted to Director of Communication & Public Relations earning more than 30 awards during his tenure.

 “We are proud to have Thomas McAninch join our SYF team,” said Dr. J. Michael Durnil, SYF President & CEO. “His work in the non-profit community, both volunteer and career, will bring a great perspective in raising our organization’s profile to the next level.”

Girls Generation - Korean