IDENTIFY NEEDS
The costs of post-secondary education continue to rise. Tuition and books for a full-time community college student run well over $1000 a year while a California State Uiversity student has costs of from $8000 to $10,000 a year. Many of the young people in the Orange Police Department (OPD) Explorer Post come from families where these costs can be overwhelming. The Explorers are often the first in their families to attend college. These young people who work hard to get into college need help in covering the costs.
HOW THE PROJECT WILL MEET THE NEEDS
Members of the Rotary clubs of Orange North and Orange Sunrise have worked side by side with the OPD Police Explorers at community events in the City of Orange for many years - Orange North at the International Street Fair and the Tree Lighting Ceremony and Orange Sunrise at the Treats in the Streets and the Plaza Car Show. At a recent club presentation by the local Explorer post, we became aware of the tremendous number of hours that each of these young people volunteer every year. The clubs would like to start a scholarship program to acknowledge the contribution of the Explorers to our community and to assist some with the costs of continuing their education. Our goal is to offer six scholarships to OPD Explorers.
TIMELINE
Fall 2014 - Committee to develop an online scholarship application
Winter 2015 - Representatives to visit the OPD Explorer Post meeting to thank the group for their work in the community and to announce the new Explorer Service Scholarship program.
Spring 2015 - Committee to screen and rank applications, interview selected applicants and determine winners.
May 2015 - Students, their parents and OPD Advisors will be invited to a joint Orange North/Sunrise Rotary meeting where awards will be presented.
June 2015 - Rotary Representatives will attend individual school awards programs to announce the scholarship recipients.
USE OF FUNDS
$5500 - Scholarship funds - one @ $2000, two @ $1000 and three @ $500
$500 - Meal costs for Explorers, their parents and the OPD Advisors
$6000 - TOTAL
HOW CLUBS ARE INVOLVED
All committees will consist of members from both clubs.
Rotarians will:
* Work side by side with the Explorers at City of Orange Community Events (Street Fair, Treats in the Streets, Tree Lighting and Car Show).
* Develop an online scholarship application
* Make a presentation to the OPD Explorer Post
* Screen and rank applications
* Interview applicants and select winners
* Plan and coordinate joint recognition meeting
* Attend awards programs at Explorer home schools
Addendum to Project Description (added after the project was signed)
Learning that scholarship checks cannot be given directly to students, we have asked the Orange Police Department's Association if they would partner with the Rotary club for this grant. They would receive the funds and later disperse the funds to the post- secondary educational institutions that the winning students attend. Students would need to verify enrollment for the funds to be released. The OPD is checking with their board to see if this is possible. If not we would have the funds go to the Rotary District 501c3 for handling.
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