Youth Scholarships
Gender and Education in Senegal
In Senegal, public education from primary to tertiary is available to any student who passes his or her exams. However, girls and boys do not enroll at equal rates, as evident in the most recent data available from UNESCO, displayed below. Although equal proportions of girls and boys enroll in primary school, a smaller proportion of girls than boys enroll in secondary school.
Data collected in 2009 show that there are approximately equal numbers of boys and girls in each grade for the first six years of school. After that, however, the percentage of girls in each grade steadily drops.
Michelle Sylvester Memorial Scholarship Fund
The Michele Sylvester Memorial Scholarship Fund was established in 1993 in memory of Michele Sylvester, a Peace Corps Volunteer dedicated to girls’ education in Senegal. Its purpose is to help close the gender gap in education. The scholarship provides money for the school fees for nine girls at each middle school working with a volunteer, and for school supplies for three of those girls. School faculty members determine the original nine girls, the volunteer chooses six finalists, and a Selection Committee picks the three winners. The Selection Committee uses a personal essay written by the candidate; an interview of the candidate by the volunteer; the candidate’s grades; and recommendations written by a teacher and the volunteer to make its decisions, based on the following four criteria:
Motivation. A student cannot succeed if she does not want to. Scholarship recipients must demonstrate a desire to remain in school.
Ability. Since advancement to the next grade depends on passage of final exams, recipients must demonstrate past academic achievement.
Financial Support. Success at school is impossible if a student cannot afford notebooks and pens, or if she cannot even afford to register. The scholarship can provide funds for these items, but only to applicants who demonstrate financial need.
Recognition. Education is a long-term commitment, and requires the support of both the family and the community. If this support is lacking, the volunteer can provide it by recognizing the candidate’s achievements.
Follow Up
Volunteers are required to ensure that the scholarship money is used for registration and school supplies, distribute certificates, and organize gender equality-focused events with the candidates. These events are designed based on information collected during the application process, and range from small showings of the Peace Corps Senegal-produced film Elle Travaille, Elle Vit! to week-long leadership camps. This follow-up strengthens the student’s commitment to remain in school, and makes the scholarship more than just a transfer of money.
Some of Last Year's Winners
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