INTRODUCTION
The Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) has guided individuals, families, and regional government through systemic challenges over the past 80 years. In that time, GWUL has impacted over five million lives, using the approaches of social work, advocacy, and other disciplines. As a staple in our community, GWUL works tirelessly for a just and more equitable society, serving residents in Washington, DC, Montgomery County and Prince George’s County, MD. GWUL manages and administers programs in: education; employment training; housing and community development; health promotion; financial literacy; and emergency assistance. Our mission is to ensure everyone in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is on the road to self-sufficiency through a variety of innovative programs. In doing so, it’s essential to increase the economic empowerment of the Black community to share equally in the responsibilities and rewards of full citizenship.
As an important and long-standing manifestation of its mission, the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) and its young professionals’ auxiliary, Thursday Network (TN) are committed to awarding educational opportunities through scholarships for college-bound students. In conjunction with numerous corporate sponsors, GWUL has facilitated the distribution of more than $2 million in scholarships to more than 300 young adults to financially support their freshman year at any accredited four-year college or university in the United States. Scholarship recipients have matriculated to a diverse and elite range of higher education institutions, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities, local colleges, Ivy League, and other colleges/universities, as well as the Job Corps and other special post-secondary education and trade establishments.
For the 2019-2020 school year, the Greater Washington Urban League will award several scholarships to deserving high school scholars and college students, ranging from $1,000 to $8,000. All scholarship disbursements are for tuition and will be delivered directly to the bursar’s or student accounts office of the student’s school for the fall term 2020.
About GWUL’s Young Professionals’ Auxiliary,
Thursday Network:
Thursday Network is the young professionals’ auxiliary of the Greater Washington Urban League (GWUL) and supports community service and civic engagement efforts in the Washington Metropolitan area. Thursday Network’s vision is to be a catalyst for change in the Greater Washington community by serving as a training ground for our members to improve community and self. For the 2019-2020 term, Thursday Network’s pillars reflect the most urgent needs of the community. The pillars are Community Engagement, Political Advocacy, Social Determinants of Health, Youth Empowerment, and Economic Security. Through the leadership of the Community Service Committee, Thursday Network has developed several outreach efforts that benefit children, youth, the elderly, and the environment.
2019 GWUL SCHOLARSHIP SPONSORS
Monumental Sports Scholarship
LINK Strategic Partners Scholarship
Safeway Scholarship
Thursday Network “I EMPOWER” Scholarship
Charlotte Elizabeth Yancey Eights Scholarship
Charlotte Elizabeth Yancey Eights Scholarship
2019 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Gerardo Hernandez
Bell Multicultural High School
Yancey Eights Scholarship ($8,000)
Lauryn Renford
Thurgood Marshall Academy
Monumental Sports Scholarship ($8,000)
Aria Jackson
Archbishop Carroll High School
Link Strategic Partners Scholarship ($5,500)
Salim Muhammed
Wheaton High School
Safeway Scholarship ($2,500)
Maritza Mundo-Barillas
Wheaton High School
Safeway Scholarship ($2,500)
Jessica Amaya-Zuniga
Bell Multicultural High School
Safeway Scholarship ($2,500)
Kyla Alston
Barrie School
Thursday Network “I EMPOWER” Scholarship ($2,000)
Kalkidan Haille
E.L. Haynes High School
Thursday Network “I EMPOWER” Scholarship ($2,000)
Beni Lavodrama
Phelps ACE High School
Thursday Network “I EMPOWER” Scholarship ($2,000)
Andrea Golli
James Hubert Blake High School
Thursday Network “I EMPOWER” Scholarship ($1,000)
Julianna Kophi
Frederick Douglass High School
Thursday Network “I EMPOWER” Scholarship ($1,000)
Huzeyfa Telha
Theodore Roosevelt High School
Thursday Network “I EMPOWER” Scholarship ($1,000)
Dominique Johnson
McKinley Technology High School
Thursday Network “I EMPOWER” Scholarship ($1,000)
ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION AND APPLICATION SUBMISSION SESSIONS
In order to be eligible to receive a Greater Washington Urban League Scholarship, one must:
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January 31, 7:00-8:00pm- Scholarship Information Session at GWUL
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February 15, 11:30am-2:30pm-Application Submission Session at GWUL
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Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.5 based on a 4.0 scale;
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Attend or be enrolled in a four-year college or university in the Fall of 2020;
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Demonstrate a commitment to community service;
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Demonstrate financial need
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Adjusted gross family income must follow provided guidelines;
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Be Black/African American, African, Afro-Caribbean, and/or Afro-Latino;
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February 16, 11:30am-2:30pm-Application Submission Session at GWUL
The application submission sessions are for applicants in need of computer and WIFI access to submit their applications. We recommend applicants bring their application materials (e.g. essays and financial information) on a flash drive or saved to a cloud server or in their email. The submission sessions are not for applicants to work on writing their essays and no essay writing assistance will be provided.
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Be a permanent resident and/or attend college in the District of Columbia, Montgomery County (MD), or Prince George’s County (MD); and
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Complete and submit all application materials online no later than February 28, 2020.
APPLICATION CHECKLIST
Your application will not be considered complete unless it includes each of the following documents and is submitted by February 28, 2020.
SUBMISSION RESOURCES
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FAFSA Application-
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Scholarship Essay Writing-
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
To submit to the online portal, the application and all required documents must be submitted at one time. Do not submit your application online until you have all materials ready to upload. Incomplete applications do not save online and will not be accepted.
All documents except the essays should be submitted as PDF files; essays should be submitted as Word documents. The official college transcript and faculty recommendation letter must be submitted on the school’s letterhead; the community service recommendation letter must be submitted on the organization’s letterhead.
Complete all sections of the application as instructed within the fillable boxes (be sure to download the application to your desktop before typing information). You are responsible for making sure all application materials are submitted no later than February 28, 2020.
Submit all completed application materials online at:
2020 SCHOLARSHIP WINNER REQUIREMENTS
2020 scholarship recipients will be notified by March 6, 2020. All scholarship recipients are expected to:
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Participate in a mandatory photo shoot and videotaping at GWUL Headquarters in Mid-March 2020*
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Attend the Greater Washington Urban League’s Whitney M. Young Jr. Memorial Gala and Reception on April 3, 2020;
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Attend the Greater Washington Urban League Annual Meeting in June 2020*;
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Write a thank you letter to their scholarship funder and;
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Participate in at least one community service activity with Thursday Network, the young professionals’ auxiliary of the Greater Washington Urban League.
Thank you for applying to the 2020 Greater Washington Urban League Scholarship!
*Exact dates will be communicated to scholarship recipients
Due to the large number of applicants, we will not accept applications after February 28, 2020, no exceptions. Questions about the application process may be sent to scholarship@thursdaynetwork.org.
2020 SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION
SECTION I: BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Permanent Address:
Current Address: (Only if different from above)
SECTION II: EDUCATION (college applicants)
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SECTION III: AWARDS, HONORS, & EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES
List all academic honors, awards, and extracurricular activities from the past 3 years.
Name of Honor/Award/Activity | Short Description | Year(s) |
|---|---|---|
Fri., June 20 | The Academy, L.A | Book It |
Thu., June 19 | Bamboo, Santa Barbara | Book It |
Sat., June 28 | Cheers, Santa Cruz | Book It |
Wed., July 6 | The Roxy, San Francisco | Book It |
SECTION IV: WORK EXPERIENCE
List all work (including after-school/summer jobs, volunteer positions, internships) from the past 3 years.
Title | Employer Name | Dates of Employment | Approx. Hours per Week |
|---|---|---|---|
SECTION V: COMMUNITY SERVICE
Total number of community service hours over the past 3 years:
List at least four community service projects or programs from the past 3 years
Name of Community Service Activity/Progr | Short Description | Hours of Servic |
|---|---|---|
SECTION VI: LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
Provide two letters of recommendation. One of those letters must come from a faculty member and one from anyone who has had oversight or a supervisory role in your community service activities. Parents, guardians, or other family members may not submit a letter on your behalf. In the spaces below, please indicate your recommenders.
Recommender Name | Affiliation/Organization |
|---|---|
SECTION VII: FINANCIAL INFORMATION
(College Applicants)
Please provide the following information. All information received will be kept confidential and will be used only for the purpose of assessing your financial need.
You may submit a typed statement describing any major changes in your family’s financial situation. This is optional and does not replace submitting one of the financial documents outlined below.
Do you currently have work study?
A.) List all grants/scholarships you currently receive and will have for the 2020-2021 school year
Grant/Scholarship Name | Award Amount |
|---|---|
B.) Current total loan amount (if applicable):