c be th h e ange Volunteer Trip Scholarship Application Kenya, August 2012

Transcription

1 Volunteer Trip Scholarship Application Kenya, August 2012

2 WELCOME Welcome to the Be The Change Volunteer Trip Scholarship Application. We re so excited that you re thinking of joining us on a life-changing adventure. We can t wait to combine your creative energies with our experience to make the world a better place! Virgin Atlantic Airways is committed to making an investment to educate young people in the UK about important issues facing the world today, and inspiring them to act at a global and local level. That s why Virgin Atlantic Airways has partnered with Free The Children an international organization that mobilizes young people to make a difference for their peers in the developing world to inspire UK youth through the unique Be The Change programme. The Be The Change Volunteer Trip Scholarship, generously provided by Virgin Atlantic Foundation, is a key part of Virgin Atlantic Airways commitment to investing in UK youth as young leaders and global citizens. The scholarship honours the commitment and passion of young people who are active global citizens participating in this programme. As such, we invite you to apply for one of 30 scholarships to go on a volunteer trip to Kenya in August 2012, all expenses paid*. Please note that applications are due by 20th December, Facilitated by Free The Children s partner organization, Me to We, youth on the trip will experience international development first-hand by visiting Free The Children projects in Kenya. Each volunteer trip offers opportunities to learn about new cultures, build leadership skills, volunteer in local communities and build lifelong friendships. Thanks to the generosity of Virgin Atlantic Airways, you will experience the world in a whole new way with Free The Children and Me to We! APPLICATION PROCESS Applications will be accepted until December 20th, 2011, and must include the following. Your Letter of Motivation describing your level of interest Your two letters of reference from a teacher and one of the following: family member, teacher, friend/ mentor/employer Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 all fully completed You can find more detailed instructions later in this package. *Please note that each student who receives a scholarship is responsible for covering his/her own costs for certain incidentals including passport, visa, vaccinations, insurance and spending money. 2

3 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION: PART 1 YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION All fields must be filled out. Please print clearly. APPLICANT (THAT S YOU!) Full Name Permanent Address Telephone: Day Evening Address Age Sex Name of School Address of School Name of Employer Address of Employer YOUR PARENT/GUARDIAN S CONTACT INFORMATION If you are under 18 years of age, you must include contact information for one of your parents or guardians. If you are 18 years of age or older, you may choose to include contact information for a relative. Contact 1: Parent or Guardian if applicant is under 18, or Parent/Guardian/Partner/Roommate/Other Primary Contact if applicant is 18 or older Full Name Permanent Address Telephone: Day Evening Address Have you lived or will you live with your parent(s)/guardian(s) for at least six weeks... In the past 12 months? In the next 12 months? YES NO YES NO 3

4 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION: PART 2 LETTERS OF MOTIVATION NAME OF APPLICANT LETTER OF MOTIVATION Write a Letter of Motivation to Virgin Atlantic Airways/Free The Children addressing the following questions. This letter should be a maximum of two pages double-spaced. 1. What do you hope to gain from going on a Me to We Volunteer Trip to Kenya? 2. As a leader, what are your greatest strengths and weaknesses? Feel free to draw upon all experiences, including your involvement with the Be The Change programme. 3. Describe a challenge that you were recently faced with and how you effectively handled the situation. LETTERS OF REFERENCE Please provide two letters of reference, one from a teacher, and the other from any of the following people: (a) Family member (b) Teacher (c) Mentor/friend/employer ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS All fields must be filled out. Please print clearly. Are you currently involved with the Be The Change programme? YES NO If so, how? (Describe the activities you have undertaken as part of your participation in the Be The Change programme.) 4

5 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION: PART 3 DREAMS AND VISION NAME OF APPLICANT We want to learn more about you! The Be The Change scholarship will offer you the opportunity to be open to other people and new possibilities. It s the chance to see the world in a different way, and to strenghten your resolve to make the world a better place. Art gives us the chance to express ourselves in a very different way. Art allows us to define a new reality and to communicate fundamental ideas on a deep, powerful and personal level. We have included this Dreams and Vision section of the application process for you to complete in your most creative, passionate way. What is your dream and vision? How do you see yourself? How do you express yourself? How do you see the world? Where can we go from here? Show us. WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO SUBMIT ONE OF THE FOLLOWING AND PLEASE CIRCLE YOUR SELECTIONS: 1. Your life in your words: A written history of your life, including any struggles that have helped to shape who you are today, and how you got through (or are getting through) them. Length: Two pages Style: Tell us a story! 2. A description of one issue that you re passionate about and a solution you see to solving the challenges associated with your issue in a clear action plan. Length: One page Style: Be concise, be specific and be a visionary! 3. Express yourself: Show us your dreams, your passions, your intensity, your beliefs, your ideas, your issues, your inspiration, your personality and your vision through your creativity! Show us the world in your words! Some suggestions: a. Audio rap, music, spoken word, radio show, comedy routine b. Dance submitted by video c. Drama a play or film you ve written, directed or acted in, submitted as a script or video d. Visual art paintings, drawings, sketches, digital art, website, photography (film or digital), animation e. Writing poetry, fiction, non-fiction, journalism, essays, opinion pieces Please note: Each piece must include a description/explanation of at least 50 words. Your items will not be returned to you after your submission. 5

6 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION: PART 4 FINANCIAL INFORMATION NAME OF APPLICANT FINANCES If applicable, please list or make note of any special financial considerations, or describe your financial need below. I (We) declare that the information provided is true and complete. Note: Your parent s or guardian s signature is needed if you are under 18 years of age. DATE SIGNATURE OF PARTICIPANT DATE SIGNATURE OF PARENT OR GUARDIAN 6

7 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION: PART 5 AFTER YOUR TRIP FOLLOW-UP PROCESS NAME OF APPLICANT Right now you are at the application stage of this scholarship. If you are chosen as a scholarship recipient, we ask that you commit to sharing your experience with others. After the fun of the trip has come to a close, you will be able to apply your new skills and give back to your community and your world! We ask you to commit to: A. Spread the message of the importance of changing the world by presenting your thoughts and experiences to one audience in the next six months. During the trip you ll experience some amazing things, and we guarantee that people will want to hear about them. If we re going to find a solution to some of the world s problems and we are! then you need to help us by telling people what you learned and what you did during your time on the Me to We trip. This will also help people learn about the Be The Change programme and about the ideals and visions it encompasses. There are many audiences that would love to hear your stories: your class or school, your friends schools, service clubs, community gatherings and a whole lot more. B. Write an article, testimony or story for Virgin Atlantic Airways, Free The Children and Me to We to use as they see fit (it can be anonymous). Youth who are thinking of getting involved with one of our programs look to our website for information and testimonies to help make their decision. Who better to represent the ideals and values of our programs than the participants themselves? This piece of writing can be anything from a few sentences to a few pages, what s important is the thought behind the words! C. Give Back! Volunteer to a deserving organization for a day, hold a fundraiser for Be The Change. Your pariticpation in the Be The Change programme is one of many factors that will earn you this scholarship to go on a volunteer trip to Kenya. You ll also be chosen as a recipient because of your talents, passion and creativity. We would love for you to use these special qualities to continue raising awareness about global issues and how to make the world a better place, as well as to raise funds to support development projects in Kenya and other developing countries. Please make sure to be in touch with your coordinator about what action you decide to take. If I am chosen to receive a Be The Change Scholarship from Virgin Atlantic Airways and Free The Children, I,, commit to do these three things after returning from the volunteer trip in Kenya. DATE SIGNATURE OF PARTICIPANT 7

8 APPLICANT CHECK-LIST Be The Change Scholarship applies to Me to We s Volunteer Trip to Kenya. Please be sure that you have included all of the following items in your application! Your Letter of Motivation describing your level of interest Your two letters of reference from a teacher and one of the following: family member, teacher, friend/ mentor/employer Parts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 all fully completed All materials be submitted prior to the following dates: December 20 th, 2011: Deadline for scholarship applications for a Me to We volunteer trip to Kenya We look forward to receiving your application! If there is anything we can help you with, please don t hesitate to contact us. Our trips are incredible and lifechanging experiences for everyone who participates. We can t wait to show you, first-hand, how much of an impact we can have on this world! Please send completed scholarship applications by mail to: Be The Change Trip Scholarship c/o Free The Children 75 Westminster Bridge Road London SE1 7HS United Kingdom Or you can send the complete application by ing: ukyouth@freethechildren.com If you have any questions, please call: TICO Registration #