Muara Teweh!

The first round of judging Saturday to become queen of the Boone County Fair was a little like speed-dating: three-minute meetings with each of the five judges, answering a range of questions.

The main event was scheduled for this evening, though, with seven young women competing to win the 2008 Miss Boone County Fair Queen Scholarship Competition. The queen wins $1,000 to be used at a school of her choice. The three women on her court win $750, $500 and $250, depending on where they place.

Along with her court, the queen will be presented at venues around the fair, appear in parades throughout the year and might be asked to judge other fair competitions.

“The whole purpose of being queen is to help people focus on agriculture and life in Boone County,” said Ashlei Wilson, a committee member for the competition. “We want a friendly » Read more after the jump →

The Royal College of Nursing Australia (RCNA) is now accepting applications for its annual Aged Care Nursing Scholarship Scheme.

Scholarships are available for undergraduate and postgraduate through the Commonwealth-funded program which is administered by the RCNA.

“We cannot underestimate the importance of aged care nurses in Australia,” said RCNA Executive Director, Rosemary Bryant.

“We have an ageing population and we’re facing a severe nursing shortage. These scholarships assist students and working nurses undertaking the study that will help them build on their skills and knowledge, and also emphasise the need for more nurses in this particular area of care.”

The undergraduate scholarships are open to applicants with a demonstrated commitment to aged care who plan to study nursing at an Australian university.

Successful undergraduate applicants will receive up to $5000 per semester with a maximum of $30 000 per person.

The postgraduate scholarships are available to Registered/Division 1 nurses, already working in aged care, who wish to do further study in the area. They can receive up to $10,000 each.

RNs who do not have a current practising certificate may apply for a scholarship if they plan to complete a re-entry course, or if they can demonstrate their eligibility to re-register.

Applications for the undergraduate scheme must be in by 5pm on Friday, 22 August and applications for the postgraduate scheme close at 5pm on Friday, 19 September.

For more information, visit the RCNA website or contact the RCNA directly on 1800 116 696 or at scholarships@rcna.org.au.

The RCNA website

A new nursing scholarship has been established at Polk Community College.

During a recent PCC District Board of Trustees meeting, representatives of the GFWC United Women’s Club of Lakeland presented their club’s $31,800 donation to the board to establish the GFWC United Women’s Club of Lakeland Inc. Vera Sligh Scholarship Fund.

The women’s club representatives were Jeanette Robertson, president; Shirley Whitney, the chairwoman of the Vera Sligh Scholarship Fund; and Verna Wooten, Whitney’s fellow scholarship committee member.

The contribution, which will be directed to the PCC Foundation, will be submitted for dollar-for-dollar matching funds through the state of Florida’s Dr. Philip Benjamin Matching Gift Program for Community Colleges, PCC Foundation Executive Director Tracy Porter said in a news release. » Read more after the jump →

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Joe Lieberman (ID-CT) today appealed to Senate Appropriators to not include any language in the District of Columbia’s funding bill which will adversely impact the District’s Opportunity Scholarship Program (OSP). The program provides low income students in failing schools in the District up to $7,500 a year in tuition, school fees, and transportation expenses to attend non-public schools.

In the letters, Senator Lieberman noted that only 6% of students entering the OSP program have a mother with a bachelor’s degree, and that the average household income is around $22,700. These are students who would otherwise be attending troubled schools in the District.

Senator Lieberman is a strong believer in our nation’s public school system and is committed to pushing for funding and reforms to make our public school system the best in the world. While working towards this goal, he has supported pilot voucher programs as a means to provide students in currently struggling schools with alternative ways to get the best education possible. » Read more after the jump →

Education Secretary Margaret Spellings devoted much of her July 8 op-ed, “Save D.C.’s Vouchers,” to the benefits afforded to children selected to participate in the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program.

While I have little doubt about private schools’ educational advantages over District public schools, the unanswered question is what happens to the children left behind. In 2007-08, nearly three in four applicants were on waiting lists, and that was in a year when seven in eight eligible families did not even apply.

If the more than $14 million spent on tuition last year for the 1,900 students who were fortunate enough to be granted scholarships were instead invested in the District’s public schools, we might not have to confront this dilemma in the future. Perhaps the real opportunity scholarships, then, should not be the ones given to 1,900 students by the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program but rather those that could be given to 70,000 or more students by a complete commitment to improving the performance of the District’s public school system.
» Read more after the jump →

WASHINGTON — /PRNewswire via COMTEX, MarketWatch / — Scholarships Will Be Awarded to The AARP Foundation today announced a call for entries to its second annual Women’s Scholarship Program. The scholarships will provide funds to women 40+ who are seeking new job skills, training and educational opportunities to support themselves and their families.

“The AARP Foundation is pleased to be offering the Women’s Scholarship Program again this year,” said Robin Talbert, the Foundation’s President and Executive Director. “AARP Foundation is committed to elevating opportunities for women. Last year, we were able to provide valuable resources that enabled 74 deserving women to have access to the educational tools to advance their professional goals.”
While many individuals benefit from the work of the AARP Foundation, research shows that women are disproportionately at risk of having insufficient resources in the second half of their lives due to lower earning and different work patterns. The AARP Foundation first announced the Women’s Scholarship Program in August of 2007 to help women 40+ overcome financial and employment barriers by allowing them to participate in education and training opportunities they could otherwise not afford. » Read more after the jump →

More again, one thousand highly talented students of color will begin their college experience as Gates Millennium Scholars. The 2008 class of Gates Millennium Scholars graduated from more than 800 high schools, represents 47 states and American territories, and will attend 360 different institutions of higher learning. Through the life of the program, a total of 20,000 students will receive scholarships to pursue undergraduate and graduate studies.

Since the program’s inception in 2000, Gates Scholars have established a record of excellence–in school and in life. GMS recipients stay in school, they are engaged within their campus and home communities, and they complete their education. They also continue to give back after their academic careers are over.

To date, the Gates Millennium Scholars Program has helped students from all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and American territories to enroll in almost 1,500 colleges and universities. » Read more after the jump →