It is the time of year when seniors need to get serious about college applications and fundraisers need to start making their end of year appeals. Below are some resources to help you on your way.

~Mike

Opportunities for Students

• Action For Nature Offers International Young Eco-Hero Awards

Deadline: February 28, 2008

Action For Nature , a nonprofit organization that encourages young people around the world to carry out individual environmental action projects, presents the International Young Eco-Hero Awards to recognize the individual accomplishments of young people (ages 8-16) whose personal actions have significantly improved the environment.

Action For Nature will award cash prizes of up to $500 each to young Eco-Heroes for their outstanding accomplishments in environmental advocacy, environmental health, research, or protection of the natural world.

The applications will be judged according to several criteria, including but not limited to originality, difficulty, organization, length of time devoted to the project, influencing/educating others, use of outside resources (e.g., library, experts, media, community leaders), degree of success in reaching goals, and the impact on the environment.

See the Action For Nature Web site, for complete program information and application guidelines.

Opportunities for Teachers

• FastTrack Fundraising Tips and Articles

This is a great site with helpful tips and ideas for a full range of fundraising activities, including school, club, and sports fundraising. Visit their Web site and get Inspired!

Opportunities for Schools and Communities

• Educational Full Scholarship for Single Mother

The Sister Thea Bowman Foundation has four scholarships for African-American single mothers and their child to attend the College of St. Mary in Omaha, Nebraska.

The Foundation will grant $30,000.00 over a period of four years to the College of St. Mary on behalf of each student. In return the College of St. Mary will match that grant with an additional $24,000. The student must be an African-American single mother who has completed high school. She must be from low-income housing. She must be able to gain admission to College of St. Mary. She need not be Catholic.

Each student will have an African-American mentor during her course of study at the College of St. Mary. Each student will also have an African-American host family from Omaha who will also serve as mentor. Each mother may take up to two children with her to the College of St.
Mary. The cut off age for the child is nine. Each mother will live in a dorm with other single mothers and their children. This dorm has been especially renovated to accommodate mothers and their children.

If interested, please contact Mary Lou Jennings, Executive Director of the Sister Thea Bowman Foundation at: marylouj11@aol.com.