September 27, 2017 - Soroptimist International of Mariposa is now accepting applications for this year’s Live Your Dream Awards.  These cash awards are to help women who provide the primary source of financial support for their families, pay for the costs of improving their education, skills and employment prospects.  Such costs can include books, childcare, tuition and transportation.

Each year, Soroptimist International awards more than $1.7 million in education grants to more than 1,300 women, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles including poverty, domestic violence and/or drug and alcohol abuse.   In addition to providing the primary financial support for their families, eligible applicants must be enrolled in, or have been accepted to, a vocational/skills training program or an undergraduate degree program and must demonstrate financial need. Live Your Dream Awards recipients may use the cash award to offset any costs associated with their education or training.

The Soroptimist Live Your Dream program involves three levels of cash awards and begins at the local Soroptimist club-level. Last year, Soroptimists of Mariposa gave two awards, for $2,000 and $1,000.  Local-level award recipients become eligible for region-level awards of either $3,000 or $5,000. Region-level award recipients then become eligible to receive one of three international-level awards of $10,000.

For those interested in applying for the Live Your Dream Awards applications for the 2017, awards will be accepted until Wednesday, November 15, 2017.  It is easy to apply for a Live Your Dream award on-line by going to soroptimist.org/awards/live-your-dream-awards or contact Sandy at (209) 966- 6020 or email to sandys@sti.net.

Article by Anita Starchman Bryant, Publicity Chair