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One $1000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a qualified student in July or August. The successful applicant will be selected from the applications received by the Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai officers, subject to the requirements listed below. 

Eligibility Requirements 
All applicants must meet the following requirements in order to be considered for our scholarship. 

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1. Applicants should be current high school seniors enrolling in an undergraduate program at an accredited college or university. In cases where there are no qualified high school Senior applications, undergraduate students in their freshman or sophomore years of college may apply. College applicants will only be considered if there are no qualified high school Senior applicants by the cutoff date for application submissions.

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2. Applicants must submit a 500 – 1000 word essay detailing their aspirations for the future and how the award of this scholarship will help them contribute to the Uchinanchu community. Our Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai has a goal of keeping Okinawan culture and traditions alive for future generations. This is the primary reason this scholarship was created for the youth associated with our organization. Please include how the award of this scholarship “to you” would help us carry out this goal and include any involvement you’ve had with the Okinawan arts or culture. Lastly, you should also include your parents’ or family’s involvement in our Kenjinkai. Sell yourself and make us believe we are choosing the very best applicant.

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3. Applicant must complete a minimum of 8 hours of community service prior to submitting the application. These service hours could be met by any of the following tasks: stage and sound, kitchen prep, setup and/or cleanup at events, raffle sales, reception, newsletter folding, etc. Hours should be approved by an officer.

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4. Applicants must provide an official school transcript from their current school indicating that they carry at least a 3.0 grade point average or higher. This transcript must be submitted along with your scholarship application and essay via the US Postal Service.

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5. Applicant is required to submit a letter of acceptance from the college of their choice.

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6. Applicant must be related to an active Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai member, who has been a member of the Kenjinkai for a minimum of three years. The applicant or the applicant’s family must be a “Member in good standing” in order to be considered for this scholarship. Please indicate who your connection is to our Kenjinkai on your application.

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7. The application deadline for our next award is April 30th, 2023. Therefore all applicants wishing to apply for this scholarship must send their application with a post mark date no later than April 30th, 2023 to be considered for the award.

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8. Previous recipients are not eligible to apply.

The Chicago Okinawa Kenjinkai believes in equal opportunity for all our members. Decisions made by our leadership are made with the best interests in mind. Discrimination and harassment based on race, color, religion or belief, national, social, or ethnic origin, sex, age, physical, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, is never a factor in our decisions. Scholarship decisions are based solely on the criteria listed on this coversheet. The successful applicant will be the one who has the best individual qualifications and shows the most potential in helping us meet our goals of preserving the culture and traditions of Okinawa and the Uchinanchu community.