[NFBNJ] Kenneth Jernigan 1st Time National Convention Scholarship Program

[Linda Melendez]

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 Rosen Center Orlando
enjoying the many pleasures and learning opportunities at the largest and
most important yearly convention of blind people in the world.

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. In recent years, the grants have been $750 for individuals.

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.
Who is eligible?

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 a convention virtually but have never attended an
in-person convention, you are still eligible to apply.
How do I apply for funding assistance?

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.

Effective January 1, 2024, the application form can be found at the
following link:
https://nfb.org/form/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scho?q=form%2Fkenneth-jernigan-convention-scho

The application will ask for the following information:

   - 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.
   - 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.
   - State Affiliate/chapter information: Include your state affiliate,
   your state president, chapter, and chapter president, if you attend a
   chapter.
   - Mentor information: Include your personal convention mentor, and
   provide that person’s phone number.
   - 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.
   - Essay questions to explain why this is a good investment for the NFB:
      - How do you currently participate in the Federation?
      - Why do you want to attend a national convention?
      - What would you receive?
      - What can you share or give?
      - Any special circumstances you hope the committee will take into
      consideration.

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 your application, and mention the
deadline.

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 kjscholarships at nfb.org. Your president must email the
recommendation no later than the deadline of April 15, 2024. If you have
applied outside of the online form, the state affiliate president must
email both the recommendation and the application letter.
Notification of Award

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:

   - 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.)
   - Register online for the entire convention, including the banquet, by
   May 31.
   - Find someone in your chapter or affiliate who has been to many
   conventions and can answer your questions as a friend and mentor.
   - If you do not hear from the committee by May 15, then you did not win
   a scholarship this year.

Receiving the Award

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.
More Information

For additional information, please contact the chairman of the Kenneth
Jernigan Fund Committee, Tracy Soforenko, at kjscholarships at nfb.org or
410-659-9314, extension 2020.


Above all, please use this opportunity to attend your first convention on
the national level and join several thousand active Federationists in the
most important meeting of the blind in the world. We hope to see you in
Orlando.

Warmly,
Linda Melendez, President
National Federation of the Blind of New Jersey
908-590-1747
president at nfbnj.org
*www.nfbnj.org* <http://www.nfbnj.org/>
*Facebook: **https://m.facebook.com/NFB-NJ-353099574776238*
<https://m.facebook.com/NFB-NJ-353099574776238>

To schedule a 30-minute meeting about the National Federation of the Blind
of New Jersey please click on the link below
https://calendly.com/nfbnj/30min
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