SHARING THE FIRE 2020
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION/APPLICATION
DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF APPLICATIONS – FEBRUARY 1, 2020
Email applications to Deb Roe at nestorytelling@gmail.com
NEST will offer scholarships in six categories for the 2020 Sharing the Fire Conference (April 3-5): the STF Support Scholarship, the New Voice Scholarship, the Allen-Tamai Scholarship for ELL Teachers, the Jennifer Justice and Doug Lipman’s Educator Scholarship, Helping Hand Scholarship and our latest scholarship, the NEST Librarian Scholarship.
These scholarships are intended to support applicants interested in increasing their storytelling skills and participating in the conference. Each scholarship recipient will be asked to give 5 minutes of time during the conference to record a brief statement about their STF experience for our website. Please see details of each scholarship below.
STF Support Scholarships
Up to 6 of these financial scholarships will be offered. This scholarship is open to all applicants interested in registering for the full conference. The winning recipients will be selected at random from the pool of applicants and winners will receive their discount when they register.
Each winner will receive: $125 off full registration ($100 off a student registration)
How to apply:
Please supply the following information:
- Name, Address, City, State, Zip
- Telephone numbers (home and cell)
- Email address
AND Explain in your letter why you would like to receive this scholarship to attend STF.
New Voice Scholarship
Open to novice tellers over the age of 18 who have been performing as storytellers for less than two years.
Each winner will receive:
- Free conference registration
- Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and Lunch on Saturday
- NEST membership for one year
- In addition, each scholarship winner will be paired with a NEST member who will act as guide/resource during the conference.
Note: Winners must provide their own transportation to and from the conference, and their own lodging and meals (other than provided as stated above).
How to apply:
Please supply the following information:
- Name, Address, City, State, Zip
- Telephone numbers (home and cell)
- Email address
Answer these questions:
- How did you hear about the New Voice Scholarship?
- Why are you interested in attending the 2020 Sharing the Fire Storytelling Conference?
- Describe your experience with storytelling and/or story listening.
- How can storytelling be used in your present or desired line of work?
- Please identify two people who can tell us about your interest in and dedication to storytelling. These references can be teachers (current or former), work supervisors or associates, storytelling colleagues or mentors, etc. For each reference, please tell us
- Name
- Postal address
- Telephone number
- Email address
- Your connection to this person (how does he/she know you and your storytelling?)
Helping Hand Scholarship
This scholarship offers full registration to STF (not including intensives, lodging and meals not listed below). It is designed for an individual of limited means who volunteers significant time and energy to NEST, its guilds and/or storytelling in the Northeast.
The winner of this scholarship shall be anonymous and will receive:
- Free conference registration
- Breakfast on Saturday and Sunday and Lunch on Saturday
Note: Winners must provide their own transportation to and from the conference, and their own lodging and meals (other than provided as stated above).
How to apply:
Please supply the following information:
- Name, Address, City, State, Zip
- Telephone numbers (home and cell)
- Email address
To apply for the Helping Hand 2020 scholarship, send a letter outlining your work for NEST, one of NEST’s guilds, and/or storytelling in the Northeast in the year January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. In addition, the letter should describe briefly your financial need.
The winning recipient will be selected at random from all applicants who meet the criteria.
NEST Librarian Scholarship
Open to librarians who have not previously attended Sharing the Fire and who are interested in learning more about how to support storytelling at their library and/or in their community.
The recipient will receive: Free conference registration (Friday evening-Sunday noon), Breakfast and Lunch on Saturday and Breakfast on Sunday, and NEST membership for one year.
Note: Winners must provide their own transportation to and from the conference, and their own lodging and meals (other than provided as stated above).
How to apply:
Please supply the following information:
- Name, Address, City, State, Zip
- Telephone numbers (home and cell)
- Email address
In addition please send a letter detailing how you plan to support storytelling at your library and/or within your community.
Dr. Allen-Tamai ELL Scholarship
This scholarship is given in gratitude to honor the work of Dr. Mitsue Allen-Tamai in the field of education and storytelling. Full-time or part-time teachers (public or private) who are interested in learning more about storytelling with the intent of using oral narrative to lift up engagement in ELL or inclusion classrooms may apply.
Winners receive:
- Free Saturday conference registration including keynote, workshops, Saturday afternoon banquet, and performances
- NEST membership for one year
- In addition, each scholarship winner may choose to be paired with a NEST member who will act as a guide/resource during the conference
- $20 stipend which may be spent on books, food or transportation
(Note: Winners must provide their own transportation to and from the conference, and their own lodging and meals other than the banquet.)
How to apply:
Please supply the following information:
- Name, Address, City, State, Zip
- Telephone numbers (home and cell)
- Email address
- Employer and Job Title
- In a brief statement, answer the following question:
- Why you are interested in storytelling and how you would use storytelling in your practice as an ELL instructor?
Dr.Mitsue Allen-Tamai teaches elementary school teachers and young learners of English in Japan. She is a Professor at Aoyama University in Tokyo and lectures widely throughout Japan and Asia. Her contributions to storytelling as a teaching tool are many but she is best known for designing a comprehensive program that has teachers using folk tales at the center of ELL classes for elementary aged learners. Her storytelling program was implemented in a large Tokyo school district and her research is supported by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Dr. Allen-Tamai tirelessly promotes the use of storytelling to build literacy and her Story Trees: Story-Based curriculum was published in 2013 by Shogakukan-Shueisha.
Jennifer Justice and Doug Lipman Educator’s Scholarship
This scholarship honors the contributions of two important educator/artists to the art of storytelling, Jennifer Justice and Doug Lipman. The donors are passing along the gifts that were given with the intent that the tradition and art of storytelling will flourish.
Eligibility:
Teachers or graduate students pursuing an education degree.
Winners receive:
- Free Saturday conference registration including keynote, workshops, Saturday afternoon banquet, and performances
- NEST membership for one year
- In addition, each scholarship winner may choose to be paired with a NEST member who will act as guide/resource during the conference
- $20 stipend which may be spent on books, food or transportation
Note: Winners must provide their own transportation to and from the conference, and their own lodging and meals other than the banquet.
How to apply:
Please supply the following information:
- Name, Address, City, State, Zip
- Telephone numbers (home and cell)
- Email address
For teachers:
- Name of School and Grade or Subjects Taught
For graduate students:
- Name of School, Degree, and Expected Year of Graduation
In a brief statement, answer the following question:
Why you are interested in storytelling and how you would use storytelling in future endeavors?
JUDGING AND DEADLINES FOR ALL SCHOLARSHIPS
- Judging: The Scholarship Review Committee will consider applications and select scholarship recipients from eligible applicants.
- Announcement of awards: Winners will be notified as soon as possible after February 1 and must register for the conference by March 8.
- Deadline for receipt of application: February 1, 2020
- Email applications to Deb Roe at nestorytelling@gmail.com
NEST also offers a Membership Assistance Fund:
The Membership Assistance Fund is funded by member donations and maintained for the purpose of making annual membership accessible to those in financial need. Monies donated to this fund will be held aside specifically for this purpose. If not used within a calendar year, they shall be held over for additional years.
Recipients of this fund will receive monies as designated by a review committee designated by the Board. The recipient’s membership shall cover all or part of that membership year. Recipients shall not be eligible to request further monies from this fund more often than once every four years.
To request a grant from this fund, applicants should provide a brief letter outlining their reason(s) for applying, and describing their financial need.
An applicant need not be an active member of NEST to apply to this fund.
Grants will be awarded as a $25.00 reduction in membership fee, not in cash form.
Email applications to Deb Roe at nestorytelling@gmail.com
DOWNLOAD SCHOLARSHIP DESCRIPTIONS