by Maureen Eppstein
One morning this week, I helped judge a local high school’s Poetry Out Loud contest. It’s a National Endowment for the Arts program in which students memorize and recite poems selected from an NEA anthology. As I listened to their young, passionate voices, I thought of all the wonderful young people we’ve brought to the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference through our Youth Scholarship Program, what a burst of energy and enthusiasm they’ve shared with other participants, and what hopes for the future they’ve taken away with them. Here’s a young person’s quote from last year’s evaluations: Now I see that the words, follow your dreams, you can be who you want to be, are possible. They are a reality. I am revived and excited for life.
This month, MCWC again invites high school students from throughout Mendocino County to compete for scholarships to our 2011 conference in July. If you know a student who might be interested and eligible, please encourage her/him to apply. Guidelines are available on our website.
MCWC needs to raise $3,000, or $500 each, to fund these scholarships. Through contributions from board members and other donors, we’re about halfway toward this year’s goal. Rather than drag friends out to yet another fundraising event, we thought this year we’d try the direct plea. Can you help us with a donation? Checks made out to MCWC and indentified as a Youth Scholarship Fund donation may be sent to MCWC, PO Box 2087, Fort Bragg, CA 95437. Because MCWC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your gift is fully tax-deductible. No matter how small the amount, we will value your partnership in nurturing the next generation of writers.
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