Clark University, MA Making a Difference (MAD) Scholarship

Type: Program

Status: Ongoing

Source File: http://www.clarku.edu/community/volunteer/mad.cfm

Description:

What is the M.A.D Scholarship?
The Making a Difference Scholarship is a $48,000 four year scholarship ($12,000 per year) that is offered to domestic first-year students who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to, and leadership in, community engagement and social change. In addition, M.A.D Scholars are offered a $2,500 taxable stipend and housing allowance to support projects they may undertake in the Worcester community during the summer following their sophomore or junior years. Summer project requirements and details are available from the Community Engagement and Volunteering (CEV) Program Coordinator at Corner House, or by emailing Micki Davis.

Who is eligible to be a M.A.D Scholar?
M.A.D Scholars have shown exemplary involvement in and leadership in community engagement activities. Previous winners have founded an Amnesty International chapter at their high school, organized Alternative Spring Break trips or planned educational programming around environmental and sustainability issues. Our expectation is that scholarship winners will enrich the Clark community through on-campus leadership and community involvement. Students are identified for this scholarship by their Admissions Counselors and must finalists are invited to interview. Only incoming first-year students are eligible for this scholarship and candidates should typically have a 3.0 high school grade point average and a SAT score of 1100 or higher. Year to year continuation requirements include 20 hours of community service each semester and maintaining a 2.5 GPA. For more information on the Making A Difference scholarships visit the Admissions pages.

M.A.D Scholars' Community Work
Read about some of the activities and involvement of past Making a Difference Scholarship Winners

• Microcredit Club - founding member, vice president and treasurer. After joining the non-profit organization Youth Microcredit International (a program in which youth raise money to grant small business loans to entrepreneurs in the developing world), this student founded the Microcredit Club at her own high school. The school's club has chosen to focus their program exclusively in Guatemala. The Microcredit Club travelled to Guatemala in August of last year to visit loan recipients, and to work with Genesis, the organization in Guatemala that distributes the loans from the Microcredit Club. Lydia, MA

• Farm to Family - Sarah is co-founder of this non-profit organization that collects surplus produce from Farmer's Markets to benefit homeless shelters. They originally started the organization four years ago by collecting produce and delivering it to various shelters themselves. They have since recruited volunteers from schools, religious organizations, city officials and the Los Angeles Public Works Court to expand the program and further the cause. She was awarded a Certificate of Commendation from the City of Los Angeles in honor of founding Farm to Family and for the positive effect the organization has had on the city. Sarah, CA

• Child Labor Education and Action (CLEA)

• Member 4 years, Co-President 2 years.
• Worked with CLEA unfailingly until her high school committed to becoming sweatfree by agreeing to purchase all school uniforms only from factories which comply with appropriate labor standards. This took research, work to gain community support, creating petitions, writing editorials, and holding awareness events. This combination of efforts eventually gained the support and approval of the school board to make this Vermont high school the first in the country to join the Workers' Rights Consortium and to purchase only "sweatfree" uniforms.
• Drafted a bill to make the state of Vermont sweatfree and successfully testified for the bill in February of last year.
• Fundraising for travel to Nicaragua with Witness for Peace to experience sweatshops first hand and to gain a better understanding of how to take action against them.

• Sweatfree Communities - Board Member - SFC is an organization that works with schools, organizations, and state and local governments to assist them in adopting sweatfree policies so that tax dollars do not support sweatshops.

• United Students Against Sweatshops - High School Regional Organizer - USAS is an international organization that works on high school and university sweatfree campaigns. Fiona, VT