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We are asking for your help to ensure everyone in your affiliate knows
about our program to support first time convention attendees.<br><br>
We are hoping you can share this with members in your affiliate to
encourage attendance at the convention and share the
transformational experience of attending our Federation Family
Reunion.<br><br>
Remember, the program is available to first time in person convention
attendees so individuals who may have attended our virtual conventions in
2020 and 2021 are still eligible if they have never attended an in-person
convention.<br><br>
Additionally, please note that we will also need your
recommendation letters for each Kenneth Jernigan applicant by that
April 15 deadline.<br><br>
<br><br>
We have included the article from the January 2022 Braille Monitor which
provides a description of the program and the link to apply
online.<br><br>
Please feel free to forward a message with these details to your
affiliate members.<br><br>
***<br><br>
The 2022 NFB National Convention is an experience you do not want to
miss.<br>
Many of those who have attended our national NFB conventions are
amazed at how meeting and interacting with over 3000 other blind
and low vision convention attendees has positively changed their
lives. They not only learn how the problems of vision loss can be
overcome, but also experience the confidence that comes with
solutions.<br><br>
If you have never attended an in-person convention, the Kenneth
Jernigan Convention Scholarship program is designed to assist you in
attending the convention and getting the most from the experience.<br>
From the January 2022 Braille Monitor:<br><br>
<h1><b>Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship </b></h1><br><br>
By Tracy Soforenko<br><br>
<br><br>
Have you always wanted to attend an NFB annual convention but have not
done so because of the lack of funds? The Kenneth Jernigan Convention
Scholarship Fund invites you to make an application for a scholarship
grant. Perhaps this July you too can be in the Marriott New Orleans
enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and
most important yearly convention of blind people in the world.<br><br>
The three biggest ticket items you need to cover when attending an NFB
national convention are the roundtrip transportation, the hotel room for
a week, and the food (which tends to be higher priced than at home). We
attempt to award additional funds to families, but, whether a family or
an individual is granted a scholarship, this fund can only help; it won’t
pay all the costs. Most years, the grants have been in the range of $400
to $500 per individual.<br><br>
We recommend that you find an NFB member as your personal convention
mentor, someone who has been to many national conventions and is able to
share money-saving tips with you and tips on navigating the extensive
agenda in the big hotel. Your mentor will help you get the most out of
the amazing experience that is convention week.<br><br>
<b>Who is eligible?<br>
</b><br>
Active NFB members blind or sighted who have not yet attended an
in-person NFB national convention because of lack of funding are eligible
to apply. If you have attended the 2020 or 2021 virtual conventions but
have never attended an in-person convention, you are still eligible to
apply.<br><br>
<b>How do I apply for funding assistance?<br>
</b><br>
This year we will be accepting applications online. Since applications
must be completed in a single session online, we strongly recommend you
prepare your responses in a document, and then cut and paste your
responses into the application form. The application form does not
support complex formatting, so we recommend avoiding formatting such as
bullet points and fonts/styles.<br><br>
Effective January 1, 2022, the application form can be found at the
following link:<br><br>
<br><br>
<a href="https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jernigan-convention-scho">
https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jernigan-convention-scho</a>
<br><br>
The application will ask for the following information:
<ul>
<li>Contact information: Include your full name and both your primary
phone where you can be contacted by your state president and your mobile
phone you might use at convention, if available.
<li>Please include your mailing address and, if you have one, your email
address. If you don’t have an email address, please consider if there is
a friend or chapter member who might be able to assist with email
correspondence.
<li>State Affiliate/chapter information: Include your state affiliate,
your state president, chapter, and chapter president, if you attend a
chapter.
<li>Mentor information: Include your personal convention mentor and
provide that person’s phone number.
<li>Funding request: Include your specific request and explain how much
money you need from this fund to make this trip possible for you. We
suggest you consult with other members to make a rough budget for
yourself.
<li>Essay questions to explain why this is a good investment for the NFB:
<li>How do you currently participate in the Federation?
<li>Why do you want to attend a national convention?
<li>What would you receive?
<li>What can you share or give?
<li>Any special circumstances you hope the committee will take into
consideration.
</ul><br>
If you cannot apply online, you can still apply by writing a letter to
your state affiliate president answering the above questions. This letter
should be emailed to your state affiliate president. Once you have
decided you will apply, please contact your state president in person or
by phone to request his or her help in obtaining funding. Be sure to tell
the state affiliate president when to expect that your application will
be submitted and mention the deadline.<br><br>
Once your application has been submitted, your application will be
provided to your state president via email. It is still your
responsibility to contact your affiliate president. He or she must email
a president’s recommendation directly to the Kenneth Jernigan Convention
Scholarship Fund Committee at
<a href="mailto:kjscholarships@nfb.org">kjscholarships@nfb.org</a>. Your
president must email the recommendation no later than the deadline of
April 15, 2022. If you have applied outside of the online form, the state
affiliate president must email both the recommendation and the
application letter.<br><br>
<b>Notification of Award<br>
</b><br>
If you are chosen to receive this scholarship, you will receive a letter
with convention details that should answer most of your questions. The
committee makes every effort to notify winners by May 15, but you must do
several things before that to be prepared to attend if you are chosen:
<ul>
<li>Make your own hotel reservation. If something prevents you from
attending, you can cancel the reservation. (Yes, you may arrange for
roommates of your own to reduce the cost.)
<li>Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by
May 31.
<li>Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many
conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and mentor.
<li>If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win
a scholarship this year.
</ul><br>
<b>Receiving the Award<br>
</b><br>
At the convention, you will be given a debit card or credit card loaded
with the amount of your award. The times and locations to pick up your
card will be listed in the letter we send you. The committee is not able
to provide funds before the convention, so work with your chapter and
state affiliate to assist you by obtaining an agreement to advance funds
if you win a scholarship, and to pay your treasury back after you receive
your debit or credit card.<br><br>
<b>More Information<br>
</b><br>
For additional information, please contact the chairman of the Kenneth
Jernigan Convention Scholarship Fund Committee, Tracy Soforenko, at
<a href="mailto:kjscholarships@nfb.org">kjscholarships@nfb.org</a> or
410-659-9314, extension 2020.</blockquote></body>
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