[NFBV-Announce] Join us in Houston: 2020 McDonald Fellowships and Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship to National Convention

[Sarah Patnaude]

> From: Mary Durbin [mailto:mrdurbin at cox.net] Chair, McDonald Fellowship and Virginia Liaison,  Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship
> 
> The 2020 NFB National Convention is an experience you do not want to miss.
> 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.
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> If you have never attended a convention, we offer two programs to assist you in attending the convention and getting the most from the experience.
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> A) McDonald  Fellowship  organized by the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia 
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> B) Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship run by the National Federation of the Blind
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> You are strongly encouraged to apply for both. This message provides details on both programs.
> A separate message will come out from Tracy Soforenko for assistance requests from individuals who   have attended previous conventions.
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> McDonald Fellowship
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> Robert and Marian McDonald selflessly contributed to our Virginia affiliate to further the progress and better the lives of those who are blind, visually impaired, and low vision in Virginia. In their honor, we recognize the personal benefits that come to people who attend a national convention for the first time. In their memory, the National Federation of the Blind of Virginia (NFBV) continues their legacy of education and empowerment to Virginia's blind citizens.
> 
> We anticipate awarding fellowships to assist each recipient with costs of attending our 2020 NFB National Convention to be held in Houston, TX, from July 14- July 19. Please note: The banquet ends late in the evening of Sunday, July 19 and fellowship winners are expected to attend the banquet so return travel must occur on Monday, July 20 or later. This event will take place at the Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston, Texas.
> 
> The  McDonald Fellowship program was established in 1998 to assist those who have never attended a convention of the National Federation of  the Blind (NFB) and wish to come to a convention this year.
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> Federationists are welcome and encouraged to apply for both the Virginia specific McDonald Fellowship and a National Kenneth Jernigan Scholarship.
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> We will link each of our Fellowship winners with mentors who will assist them in getting the most out of their national convention experience.  McDonald Fellowship winners are expected to attend the entire NFB convention and share their experiences by addressing our 2020 NFB of Virginia state convention.
> 
> Deadline for applications for the McDonald Fellowship is Wednesday, April 15, 2020.  Winners will be announced May 15, 2020.
> 
> Your application should be in the form of a letter delivered via electronic mail.  There is no specific form for the application.  Applicants should write a brief letter outlining reasons why they should be considered for a Fellowship and the letter must include:
> 
> A)      Name, Address, phone and email contact information
> B)      Chapter or other connection  With the affiliate
> C)      How you will benefit from the experience
> D)     How you have participated with your chapter or the
>          affiliate in the past year
> E)      Any other pertinent details
> 
> In addition, you are required to contact your Chapter President or an affiliate Board Member for a letter of recommendation. Letters of recommendation are due by Wednesday, April 15, 2020.
> 
> Applications or questions about the Fellowship program should be sent to Mary Durbin, Chairman, McDonald Fellowship Committee, email at Mary Durbin (mrdurbin at cox.net) or by phone at 757-472-2495.
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> Our committee wants to help you make 2020 the year you attend our national convention.  The convention will be even better because you were there. 
> 
> 
> B) Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship
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> By Tracy Soforenko
> 
> 
> 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 Hilton Americas Hotel in Houston, Texas, 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. Most years the grants were in the range of $400 to $500 per individual. In 2019, ninety grants were offered.
> 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 NFB national convention because of lack of funding are 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 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, 2020, the application form can be found at the following link:
> https://www.nfb.org/get-involved/national-convention/kenneth-jernigan-convention-scholarship. The deadline for submissions is April 15, 2020.
> 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 that your application will be submitted 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, 2020. 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 Convention Scholarship Fund Committee, Tracy Soforenko, at kjscholarships at nfb.org or 410-659-9314, extension 2415.
> 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 Houston.
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> Mary Durbin
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> McDonald Fellowship Chair and Kenneth Jernigan Convention Scholarship Liaison
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