Scholarship Program Outline

 

Overview

 

In the Shaker schools, more than one in three students qualifies for free or reduced price lunch. That staggering number exhibits just how large the disparity is between the seven-figure households and the households struggling to pay the rent. Shaker is a world of opportunities, and it’s also a world of socioeconomic diversity.

 

Many students in this category work jobs after school to help make ends meet in their household. Their contribution is just as needed as that of their parents’. That said, these students don’t work on weekends for pocket money, they work after school. This program would allow students to bear the opportunity cost of losing one day a week of work to participate in a club or other activity. By providing a stipend, these students wouldn’t lose income, but they would be able to do something they would never have thought possible before.

 

The program would be restricted to clubs of an academic or career oriented design. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis as the types of clubs and activities at Shaker are constantly evolving and the numbers of these activities may also change.

 

The program would be presented to freshmen to begin these participation habits early. Alongside other scholarship opportunities, the stipend program would gain recognition and show students that many opportunities are not off-limits in Shaker. Particularly, the program would target freshmen on free and reduced price lunch – those who will qualify for the program.

 

The stipend would provide enough for students to take off four hours during the work week to do a club, allowing for a club with long meetings such as SGORR.

 

How to Qualify

 

Students must be on free or reduced price lunch to qualify. If there is a need for a student not in this category, it may be worked out on a case-by-base basis with those who will administer the stipend. Counselors, club advisers, Mary Lynn McGovern, Lori White and our new principal will help to identify potential students who would benefit from this program. Through this process and a self-selection process where students indicate in a short application why this is a fit and would be beneficial for them and their community, participants will be selected. Students will be encouraged to apply from many sources. Teachers will be notified of this opportunity and may inform potential participants, counselors will be aware and make recommendations and administrators will also spread the word and single out students with potential to succeed in this program.

 

Clubs and activities that tilt toward academic and career orientations will be included. Sports will not. A sample of potentially qualifying clubs include the literary magazine Semanteme, Environmental Club, Debate Club, Spanish Club, Student Group On Race Relations (SGORR), and more.

 

The student who succeeds in this program will be highly motivated. It’s not easy to try something new with none of your friends involved or something you’re afraid you might fail at first glance. My hope is that my making the club/activity adviser aware of this program and a program participant in their club, they will help facilitate introduction activities and ice-breaker plans. Ideally, students will form new relationships and friendships and the club or activity will be small enough the program participant can form a mentor-mentee relationship with her adviser. Furthermore, support from counselors, administrators involved in the program and their peers in the stipend program will encourage the participants to remain.

 

Accountability

 

While it is difficult to ask students to do more when they already face such a steep hill, including measures of accountability to ensure the student is taking advantage of the program is essential. The stipend will be paid every two weeks to ensure continuity and accountability. This way, the student will be able to contribute to their family as they would normally with their job’s income. To ensure the student does their part during the two weeks, one possibility is the student must have his adviser sign an attendance sheet before receiving that two-week portion of the grant. At the end of the semester, the student and adviser will have an opportunity to evaluate the program and make suggestions. At this point, the student can drop out or switch to a different club or activity. The adviser will write up a succinct report on the student’s progress.

 

Finance

 

• Expected number of participants each year: 5

• Estimated $1,000-1,500 per year per student OR $500-800 per semester per student

• Initial needed fundraising: $20,000

  • This number allows four years of continued vitality of the program while raising the needed $100,000

• 4-year goal: $100,000 for 5% earnings each year ($5,000)

  • This goal will enable the program to be self-sustaining while hopefully continuing to grow

• Donations will be tax-deductible and the financial agent is the Shaker Schools Foundation