Potomac Health Foundation Fellows program supports health sciences students

The deadline for applications to the Potomac Health Foundation Fellows program has been extended to Aug. 25.

The core mission of this scholarship program is to help promising, second-year, full-time associate degree health sciences students who attend Germanna or Northern Virginia Community College pursue their academic goals and strengthen their leadership skills. In addition to receiving full tuition, the Fellows participate in a unique curriculum of activities designed to expand their community involvement and cultivate a strong foundation for a successful future.

Applicants must excel academically, exhibit exceptional leadership potential, participate in community service activities and demonstrate financial need. The applicant must be a US citizen and reside in the specific zip codes served by the Potomac Health Foundation (see below).

Ten students will be designated as Potomac Health Foundation Fellows. They will receive an award of $6,000 to support tuition, books, fees and reasonable expenses such as clinical supplies inherent to the healthcare field. In addition, if the Fellows have successfully met the program requirements during the academic year, they are eligible to apply for a summer stipend of $3,000 to support a 9-week work internship or community service project.

The Potomac Health Foundation Fellows will be selected in the spring prior to their second year at Northern Virginia or Germanna Community College. Finalists will be invited to participate in a selection process in Richmond in May at the expense of the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education. Scholarship winners will be selected on the basis of their applications and interviews. Notification follows immediately.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

* Be currently enrolled full time at Germanna or Northern Virginia Community Colleges in a health sciences program with first year completed by end of spring semester 2014.

* Reside in the following zip code areas: 20112, 22025, 22026, 22079, 22125, 22134, 22172, 22191, 22192, 22193, 22554, 22556.

* Demonstrate ability and commitment to a health science profession with intent to transfer to a Virginia public college or university.

* Have unmet financial need as determined by an application that includes student and family income and student and family contributions to tuition, books and fees.

* Demonstrate evidence of academic excellence, leadership potential, and personal integrity.

* Demonstrate evidence of community service or faith-based endeavors.

* Be nominated by a faculty member and endorsed by the president of the college or campus provost.

Q&A

1. When is the application deadline: All applications and supporting materials should be postmarked by August 25, 2014.

2. Does a student need a specific GPA to apply for the Fellows program?

Yes. To apply, a student must have successfully earned 30 credit hours with a minimum 3.5 GPA.

3. Does the 3.5 GPA requirement for a Fellow apply for second year courses or overall GPA?

The Fellows scholar should maintain an overall 3.5 GPA.

4. When are the two letters of recommendation and school transcripts due? Can they be sent separately from my application?

Applications can be completed online and letters can be sent separately but they must also be postmarked by August 25, 2014. If you are having a teacher or supervisor send a recommendation letter for you, please make sure they clearly identify the applicant and which scholarship they are recommending him/her for.

5. How does an applicant get an endorsement from the college president or campus provost?

The applicant should work with a financial aid counselor at the college and/or the head of the college’s educational foundation to secure a letter from the president or provost.

6. What sort of evidence does an applicant need to provide for community service or faith-based endeavors?

One of the recommendation letters required with the application should be from a community services supervisor or someone other than a family member or friend who can attest to the applicant’s achievements and character from personal knowledge. In addition, the applicant should provide information about such service in the application (essay question III).

7. Which year of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be submitted with the application?

The most recent FAFSA should be submitted with the application.

8. How much financial assistance will a Fellow receive?

A Fellow will receive up to $6,000 to cover tuition, books, and fees for the second year at Germanna or Northern Virginia Community College. Fellows must complete a full second year at their college.

9. Can a second year student transfer to another college in Virginia?

No. To be eligible for the Potomac Health Foundation Fellows program, a student must be enrolled at either Germanna or Northern Virginia Community College and must continue his/her studies there for the full second year.

10. Does the scholarship recipient have to enroll in the fall term?

Yes. If accepted into the Fellows scholarship program, the student must be enrolled in the fall of 2014 at either Germanna or Northern Virginia Community College.

11. Will a check be sent to the student or the college?

Payment will be sent to a Fellow’s college once he/she has signed a letter of scholarship acceptance and enrolled in first semester classes. Fellows will be reimbursed for their book purchases and other supplies related to their studies.

12. How often will the Fellows meet?

The Fellows will meet initially for a summer orientation and to share plans for their community service projects. Participation is required in at least two other programs to hear from prominent speakers and engage in cultural and motivational activities.

13. When is the summer stipend available?

A stipend of $3,000 will be provided to the Fellows who successfully complete their scholarship year and who participate in a summer work internship or an approved community service project. The stipend will be paid in 2 installments.

Open Educational Resources: 'At some point, Western Civ is Western Civ is Western CIv'

As the cost of textbooks has approached the cost of tuition for classes at some institutions of higher education, faculty are taking matters into their own hands, virtually willing an Open Educational Resources movement forward. OER involves replacing textbooks with openly licensed and easily accessible documents and media.

Richard Sebastian, Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies for the Virginia Community College System, Prof. Cheryl Huff of Germanna and GCC Instructional Designer Dr. Julie Mersiowsky speak about Open Educational Resources to a group of about 50 faculty members today at GCC.

Germanna Community College hosted a two-day OER Academy Thursday and Friday for faculty members from GCC and other colleges in the region.

“Creating courses that use free and open access materials works best collaboratively, so we gathered faculty from around the VCCS to train, brainstorm, team build, and share for two days,” said Germanna Prof. Cheryl Huff, who organized the event with Dr. Julie Mersiowsky, GCC Instructional Designer. “We have plenty of data in the system already, showing how we can save students large amounts of money on classes and degrees, and even increase their success in courses.”

The Virginia Community College System is supporting these initiatives with funding, Huff said, “but there was a groundswell of people already doing this for good reasons, and many more will continue to, as we gain momentum.  It’s like a grassroots movement in some ways – no one wants to hear that a student can’t afford to buy an expensive text and is trying to struggle along without one, so designing courses that meet all the learning objectives using open educational resources has broad benefits. It levels the playing field for many students.”

Huff received a grant from the VCCS in 2013 to develop OER for one of her Germanna English classes. Four other Germanna faculty and library staff members received grants for similar projects this spring.

As the movement grows, “What we should start to see in increased student success,” said Richard Sebastian, Director of Teaching and Learning Technologies for the Virginia Community College System.

Attendees heard that publishers are already moving away from hard cover books in general and textbooks in particular--that they are in reality less and less “publishers” with each passing month and more and more and more digital content services, finding and vetting content.

“At some point, Western Civ is Western Civ is Western Civ,” Sebastian said. “The real variation is delivery.”

Changing the means of delivery can make it easier for students from families with less financial means to learn, to do well in classes, stay in school and earn degrees.

“You know there are students in your classes who don’t have the textbook,” William Preston Davis, Director of Instructional Services at Northern Virginia Community College said. “You don’t know why unless they tell you why. [But} when everyone has access to the material, their chances of success improves.”