Jim & Robbie Dick Memorial Social Justice Scholarship

Iskashitaa Refugee Network is a multicultural, intergenerational organization dedicated to harvesting local fruit year-round to reduce food waste in southern Arizona while integrating UN refugees into the community. We are proud to announce the 3rd year of the Jim and Robbie Dick Memorial Social Justice Scholarship in memory of Jim and Robbie Dick’s volunteer service toward furthering equity, peace, social justice, human rights, and cross-cultural understanding.

One award of $5,000 will be awarded each year to a Tucson area high school senior applicant who has been an active volunteer in promoting these values, passions, and goals and who is going on to a university, community college, or trade school. Award money may be applied to tuition, room, and board or other costs at a post-secondary institution through their financial department. The review committee will consider the student’s dedication to making the world a better place and a continued commitment to community service.

The Jim and Robbie Dick Memorial Social Justice Scholarship (funded by the Dick Family and private donors) will be administered by an Iskashitaa Refugee Network review panel.

Deadline for a completed application is April 1st, 2024; the recipient will be notified by May 1, 2024.  

If you have any questions, contact us at IskashitaaScholarship@gmail.com with the subject line: Scholarship Review Panel.      

Eligibility:

Tucson area high school seniors who are/have been involved in community service project(s) related to social justice, equity and cross-cultural understanding (such as volunteering with Iskashitaa, participating in or having a leadership role in school programs, city/county programs, church/civic organizations, etc.

Required Documentation:

• High school transcript.  A GPA above 3.0 is preferred, but lower GPAs will be considered for students whose applications reflect their commitment to the scholarship’s values.

• Essay (500-750 words):  Why is a commitment to furthering social justice, equity, human rights, and cross-cultural understanding important? Include your ideas or plans for continuing social justice activism beyond high school.

• Provide resume of volunteer experience, employment, and extra-curriculum activities including organizations/projects and dates.

• Two letters of recommendation from a teacher, advisor, or supervisor that support your commitment to social justice, equity, and cross-cultural understanding.

Scholarship Suggestions:

We offer the following recommendations to assist you in reaching the targeted objectives of the application.

• Provide the scholarship requirements to those who will be writing your letters of recommendation and to anyone who is reviewing your essay. 

• Have a mentor (friend, teacher, family member etc.) read your essay to make sure that you have answered the prompt thoroughly and have used correct grammar and punctuation.  

• The essay is evaluated on clearly addressing the prompt and conveying a commitment to making a difference.  Be sure to provide examples and your plans for continuing social justice activism in the future.