A nonprofit scholarship benefiting graduates from the Proviso High School Township D209 is now accepting applications for the 2024 scholarships — awards that can continue to benefit recipients for years to come.
A total of six scholarships will be awarded, two per school, each for $1,000 per student.
Founded in 2016, the 209 Scholarship’s mission is to provide support to graduates from Proviso High School Township District 209, said Michelle Woehrle, board president of the 209 Scholarship.
“We were inspired to see the work done in other communities, around scholarships for their graduates,” Woehrle said. “And it is just a way that we can encourage connection between our community and the high school, who have had a very fraught relationship over the decades.”
This year’s graduates from all three high schools in the district — Proviso East, Proviso West, and Proviso Math and Science Academy — can apply for one of the two scholarships through the program. The categories are overcoming adversity or persistence pays.
To apply for the overcoming adversity scholarship, students will need a minimum GPA of 2.0 and have demonstrated academic improvement during their high school years.
“The purpose of this award is to support students who may not have the best academic record but have shown determination to succeed in a 2- or 4-year college,” the scholarship website said.
The persistence pays scholarship requires students to have a 3.5 GPA or higher and have consistent academic excellence during their high school career.
This scholarship is to show support to students who have shown “continuous excellence.”
To be eligible for the scholarships, students also need to be 2024 graduates of Proviso West, Proviso East, or Proviso Math and Science Academy, meet the required GPA, and plan to attend a two- or four-year college or any accredited post-secondary education program, including trade school.
Woehrle said a quality that she loves about the 209 Scholarship is that it not only focuses on the students who have been academically successful while in high school, but also offers students who did not have the highest GPA a chance to also pursue an education following their high school graduation.
“Maybe they are going to Triton, or they are going somewhere else, but they are on a path,” Woehrle said. “What we know now as adults, which I don’t think is always apparent as youth, is that you have a long road ahead of you and your potential is not limited by where you are at the end of high school.”
“We want to give a hand to a whole spectrum of individuals,” she said. “High school is not where everyone’s potential is realized.”
To rally community support around the scholarship program, the 209 Scholarship organization held its annual Great Chefs fundraiser this past October, where local restaurants were invited and provided meals to those who attended to help the nonprofit raise funds for the scholarships.
According to Woehrle, the nonprofit raised $20,000 at the event through ticket sales, silent auction and with help from sponsors.
The event featured special guest speakers: students who had been awarded the scholarship in past years. The students spoke about how the scholarship had impacted the ability to pursue an education, underlining the need to support students, Woehrle said.
Woehrle added that in 2023, the nonprofit awarded 12 new graduate awards and 22 renewal scholarships.
Renewal scholarships give previously awarded students a chance to continue to fund their education needs.
“If you have won a past award, we try to give you some money, sometimes it’s $500, sometimes it’s $1,000, but we are always trying to continue to support our youth throughout their college journey,” Woehrle said.
To receive a renewal scholarship, students need to provide an essay describing where they are in their education and how the funds would be used.
“We know that not all of their expenses will be accrued right at the beginning,” Woehrle said. “They are going to have rent, transportation, books, technology, and we just want to be a supportive system. As someone who did not grow up with access to unlimited funds, I knew how hard it would be to get support. If you need a $500 laptop, that can be a make-or-break situation for some people.”
Part of how they aim to help students is by awarding the $1,000 directly to the youth for them to pay whatever comes up including books, transportation, or for technology.
Woehrle said the scholarship nonprofit is also blessed to have great community members who run a proper, good, and fair selection process, which is completely anonymous.
“We cannot see who is playing, they can’t see who is applying. We have a redactor who is not on the selection committee, so it is a very fair process,” Woehrle said. “It is a treat to see the youth that are applying, and it is really fun to see who gets selected.”
Applications must be submitted through the online application or turned into the student’s guidance counselor by Friday, April 12. Questions can be emailed to contact@209scholarship.org.