Scholarships Available for Feminist Women Returning to School

Members of Indiana’s division of the National Organization for Women (NOW) announced up to five scholarships available in Fall 2010 for $2000 each. The Joan Poindexter Scholarships deadline for applicants is December 1st. To be eligible, you must be involved in feminist activities, a returning female student age 23 or older and a resident of Indiana. To apply, email the following information to Indiana_now@yahoo.com: name, mailing address, e-mail address, phone number with area code, date of birth, college or university where you are enrolled, and in what ways you participate in feminist activities. Applicants must also respond to the following question in approximately 500 words: What does being a feminist mean to you?

The Scholarship is named for Joan Poindexter, a NOW member since the 1970s. Poindexter held several offices with Indiana NOW including president and treasurer. She was also active in Indianapolis NOW and treasurer of the Indiana NOW PAC (political action committee). In her honor, Poindexter’s family established the fund, an ongoing endowment providing scholarships for women returning to school later in life. Awarded annually, the scholarships are a tribute to Joan’s life.

The National Organization for Women is the largest organization of feminist activists in the United States. Since its founding in 1966, NOW’s goal has been to take action to bring about equality for all women. NOW works to eliminate discrimination and harassment in the workplace, schools, the justice system, and all other sectors of society; secure abortion, birth control and reproductive rights of all women; end all forms of violence against women; eradicate racism, sexism and homophobia, and promote equality and justice in our society.