Office of Public Relations: For more information, contact: Stephen E. Snyder
(229) 931-2028 (229) 931-2037 ssnyder@canes.gsw.edu
(229) 931-2072 fax
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April 9, 2009
RCI accepts applications for Stepanek
Caregiving Scholarship
AMERICUS--The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving (RCI) is now accepting applications for the 2009 Mattie J.T. Stepanek Caregiving Scholarship, a scholarship program which began in 2005 as a component of the Johnson & Johnson/RCI Caregivers Program.
Before his untimely death in 2004 at the age of 13, Mattie Stepanek was a poet and peacemaker who provided inspiration to people of all cultures throughout the world. In 2003, he served as honorary co-chair of the J&J/RCI Caregivers Program Intergenerational Caregiving expert panel.
Caregivers are often viewed as expendable resources in systems of care. As a result, many caregivers are overlooked, ill-prepared and some ultimately burn-out. The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving promotes the view that family, professional, and paraprofessional caregivers are the most valuable asset in any system of care, and they should be cultivated, preserved, developed, and valued.
The Mattie Stepanek Scholarship provides financial assistance to family, professional, or paraprofessional caregivers of any age who are seeking training or education in specific skills, procedures and strategies that lead to more effective care at the same time that they serve to protect the health and well-being of the caregiver.
Four $2,500 scholarships will be awarded. Deadline for application is July 1, 2009. Visit: http://www.RosalynnCarter.org for criteria and an application form.
Since 2001, Johnson and Johnson in partnership with The Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregiving, has awarded more than $1.5 million in grants to support innovative programs for caregivers. This partnership builds on the RCI’s twenty years of advocacy for caregivers and on the credo of Johnson & Johnson to be “responsible to the communities in which we live and work” and “encourage…better health and education.”
The RCI was formed in honor of former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, an alumna of GSW, to enhance her long-standing commitments to human development and mental health. RCI works to establish local, state and national partnerships committed to building more effective long-term care systems and providing greater recognition and support for America's caregivers.
For more information, contact Laura Granberry of the RCI at 229-931-2034 or e-mail lbgran@canes.gsw.edu.
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