Washington, D.C., December 24, 2008
– The American Public Health Association (APHA) is pleased to announce the new Get Ready Scholarship for high school students. The scholarship is a component of APHA’s Get Ready campaign, which works to help Americans prepare themselves, their families and their communities for all health hazards and disasters, including pandemic flu and infectious disease.
The $500 Get Ready Scholarship is designed to encourage high school students to focus on the importance of emergency preparedness. The scholarship is open to U.S. high school seniors who will be graduating in 2009 and continuing their education. The winner of the scholarship will be determined through an essay contest on emergency preparedness.
“We are pleased to be able to not only help educate our youth about the importance of being prepared, but to also provide one student with financial assistance to help them afford to continue their education,” said Georges C. Benjamin, MD, FACP, FACEP (E), executive director of APHA.
The Get Ready Scholarship was developed in conjunction with Get Set: An Emergency Preparedness Project Kit. Released during the fall installment of the Get Ready: Set Your Clocks, Check Your Stocks campaign, the project kit is a how-to guide for high school students interested in taking on preparedness activities at school or in their community.
The Get Ready Scholarship deadline for essay submissions is April 6, 2009. To learn more about the scholarship and the essay criteria, please visit www.getreadyforflu.org/scholarship.htm.