Peace always been central to the mission of Rotary International. In recognition of this, Rotary District 6040 is sponsoring a Youth Peacebuilders Award to recognize outstanding efforts by a student within the district to assist the disadvantaged, build bridges between communities, and/or prevent or resolve conflicts. This award, a $2500 scholarship, will not only celebrate the winner’s peacebuilding efforts, but encourage future peacebuilding initiatives by youth in the district.
The Award and Areas of Focus:
The award is given to a student who is engaged in peacebuilding locally, regionally, and/or globally. These peacebuilding activities include but are not limited to:
  1. Efforts to assist the disadvantaged and marginalized
  2. Efforts to build bridges between people, communities, and/or nations
  3. Efforts to prevent, mediate, or resolve conflicts in school or the community at large
Scholarship:
The winner will receive a $2500 scholarship from district 6040. The scholarship will be paid directly to the student’s college or university.
 
Eligibility:
Any high school senior or college freshman/sophomore/junior at a school with a Rotaract or Interact club. Recipients need not be Rotaract or Interact club members, but they can be.
 
The following are not eligible to apply for the Award:  Rotarians, including Honorary Rotarians (as defined below); employees of clubs, districts, or other Rotary entities, or of RI; spouses, lineal descendants (children or grandchildren by blood, legal adoption, or marriage without adoption), spouses of lineal descendants, or ancestors (parents or grandparents by blood) of persons in the above categories; employees of agencies, organizations, or institutions that partner with TRF or RI; former Rotarians and Honorary Rotarians who have terminated their membership within the preceding 36 months; and persons who were ineligible based on their familial relationship to a former Rotarian or Honorary Rotarian, for a period of 36 months after termination of their family member’s membership.  An Honorary Rotarian as used herein is defined as an individual who has been granted this highest distinction by a Rotary Club to a non-Rotarian or Rotarian who is not an active member of the granting Club.
 
Scholarship Application Processes and Deadlines:
April 15, 2020 – Deadline for Peacebuilding Award application, essay, and recommendation letter to be submitted to a district 6040 Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact club.
April 15-29, 2020 –Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact club screens and approves the application.
April 30, 2020 – Deadline for Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact club to submit the application, essay, and recommendation letter to the Youth Peacebuilding Award chair Steven Youngblood-- steve.youngblood@park.edu.
May 15, 2020—Final selection of award winner made; winner notified
 
 
Materials to submit
1. Completed application (below)—By April 15, submitted to Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact club
2. 200-300 word essay--—By April 15, submitted to Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact club. The essay will address how the applicant’s activities address the three areas of focus (assisting the marginalized, building bridges, and preventing/mitigating conflict) and contribute to a lasting, positive peace in their communities, region, country, and world.
3. Letter of recommendation-- By April 15, submitted to Rotary, Rotaract, or Interact club. Letter must be from a person who can discuss and assess your peacebuilding activities, particularly in the three areas of focus.
 
Selection
The selection will be made by a committee convened by Youth Peacebuilding Award chair Steven Youngblood. Committee members will recuse themselves if/when discussing applicants with whom they are acquainted, or whose applications were approved by their home club.
 
Applicants may be interviewed by the selection committee.