Local Program Interest Kit

LOCAL PROGRAM INTEREST KIT

MISSION STATEMENT

Distinguished Young Women is a national scholarship program that inspires high school girls to develop their full, individual potential through a fun, transformative experience that culminates in a celebratory showcase of their accomplishments. • By encouraging continued education and providing college scholarships • By developing self-confidence and the abilities to interview effectively, to speak in public, to perform on stage and to build interpersonal relationships • By encouraging and showcasing excellence in academic achievement, physical fitness, on-stage performance skills, and the ability to think and communicate clearly • By creating opportunities to beneficially inspire the lives of others

THE PROGRAM

Distinguished Young Women (DYW) is a volunteer run, non-profit organization with a local, state and national level of participation. There is no fee to enter Distinguished Young Women at any level. We offer a program that focuses on building life skills, encouraging camaraderie, rewarding excellence and improving self-confidence. This culminates in a public showcase that features the young women and their achievements within the five-category Distinguished Young Women competition. At the end of the showcase, scholarships are awarded and one or more representatives are selected to travel to the next level.

Distinguished Young Women is searching not only for the well-rounded young women who will go on to compete at the next level, but are also hoping to inspire and motivate all those who participate. Many of these young women have never been challenged to stand in front of an audience, to express themselves through a talent or performing art, or to express their personal opinions. This process pushes each young woman to “Be Your Best Self,” our national outreach program, and to see their individuality as a strength and asset. The confidence each girl gains during her participation lasts longer than any scholarship - this self-confidence lasts a lifetime.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Distinguished Young Women makes available over $1.3 billion dollars in scholarships nationally every year. This comes in two forms: cash tuition and college-granted. Cash tuition is awarded in conjunction with awards given at the three levels of participation. College-granted is made available at all three levels as well but, even starting at the local level, young women can receive scholarships directly from colleges just for completing the program even if they do not win a single award.

JUDGING CRITERIA

SCHOLASTICS (25%) A scholastic judge evaluates each participant’s high school transcript (academic classes only), standardized test scores, strenghth of their schedule and academic extracurricular activities.

INTERVIEW (25%) Each participant completes a 10-minute interview with a panel of five program judges. The judges evaluate her perception, analytical skills, ability to express herself, and ability in human relations. TALENT (20%) Each participant performs an on-stage, individually selected and created presentation (90 seconds maximum). Evaluation is based on her appropriateness of selection, originality, technical ability, costume, and stage presence. SELF-EXPRESSION (15%) Each participant presents a brief speech on stage in reaction to a posed question. The participant is evaluated on her communication skills and grace under pressure. FITNESS (15%) An on-stage group aerobic/calisthenics routine is performed to lively, fun music in which each participant is evaluated on the basis of her stamina, coordination and agility. LOCAL PROGRAMS

FLEXIBLE STRUCTURE

At the local level much flexibility is given to how a group of volunteers or organization wishes to administer a program. This can be done as either an At-Large program where the group/organization recruits young women and holds a one day program where all participants are evaluated and one or more young women are selected to move onto the state program. You can also hold a Local Program which includes one or more rehearsals and a final showcase which the public is invited to. If the Local Program route is selected, the presenting group decides the number of rehearsals which work best and a date for the showcase that fits them.

LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Each local program is responsible for any cash tuition scholarships it wishes to make available. The only scholarships Distinguished Young Women requires of a local is for something to be given to the overall winner(s). The college-granted scholarships primarily come from the national level and a new list is provided annually to share with participants.

LIFE SKILLS WORKSHOPS

Every participant in Distinguished Young Women must be offered our Life Skills Workshops as part of their experience. The core of this program is to make available workshops in these 3 areas: Interview, Public Speaking and Be Your Best Self. These 3 areas help prepare the participants for the final competition and also serve to give them valuable skills for after high school.

These workshops can be executed in a number of ways. The national program provides YouTube videos and worksheets that you can either directly share with participants or use as a guide for anyone on your volunteer committee or someone from the community who would like to do the workshop in person.

At-Large programs, since they do not have traditional rehearsals, can just share the materials from Nationals. Local programs need to offer the 3 core workshops (either by sharing the national materials or creating their own, in-person workshops) and then are welcome to develop other workshops they feel would benefit their participants and/or are based on resources in their community. (Example: if you have a college near by, have an Admissions Counselor come speak about the admissions.)

LOCAL PROGRAM SCHEDULE EXAMPLE

The Charleston County, SC program offers six, three and a half hour rehearsals on Saturday mornings (allowing girls to miss up to two -- keeping attendance flexible allows already busy girls to fit the experience into their schedule). During the rehearsals the participants learn the routines necessary for the showcase (also videos are posted on YouTube so girls can practice at home), participate in the Life Skills Workshops and have plenty of social time to meet the other girls. They also have a Girl’s Night In -- an optional Friday evening event for the participants to hang out outside of rehearsals. These weeks culminate in a public showcase that features the young women and their achievements within the five-category Distinguished Young Women competition. At the end of the showcase, 10 scholarships are awarded (1 for each category, a Be Your Best Self Essay Award, Spirit Award and 3 overall winners).

REQUIREMENTS TO GET STARTED

Every local, whether At-Large or a traditional Local Program, needs at least 3 volunteers (Chairman, Judges Chairman, Production) to start. You will also need to be able to pay the State License fee (this differs in every state and the fee is usually waived when a new program first gets started) and offer a cash-tuition scholarship of some amount to your local overall winner(s). BE YOUR BEST SELF OUR NATIONAL OUTREACH PROGRAM

All participants in Distinguished Young Women are exposed to our national outreach message of “Be Your Best Self.” The 5 elements which make up BYBS are at the core of what Distinguished Young Women is trying to accomplish.

5 ELEMENTS OF BYBS

BE HEALTHY Be physically fit and drug free BE INVOLVED Serve your community BE STUDIOUS Stay in school BE AMBITIOUS Set and achieve goals BE RESPONSIBLE Live by moral and ethical principles

FAST FACTS

2017 marks the 60th annual national program

Number of Volunteers: More than 10,000

Number of participants (local, state and national): More than 3,000

Number of participants since 1958 (beginning of program): Over 745,000

Number of universities and colleges that offer college-granted scholarships: Almost 100

College-granted scholarships made available in 2017: More than $1.1 billion

Well-Known Past Participants: Diane Sawyer, journalist, Good Morning America, Kentucky and America 1963 Kathie Lee Gifford, entertainer, Regis & Kathie Lee, Maryland 1971 Kim Basinger, Oscar Award-winning actress, Athens’ (Georgia) 1971 Deborah Norville, journalist, Inside Edition, Georgia 1976 Julie Bryan Moran, anchor, Entertainment Tonight, Georgia and America 1980 Debra Messing, actress, Will and Grace and The Starter Wife, Rhode Island 1986 Bellamy Young, actress, Scandal, North Carolina 1988 Sarah Jane Everman, Broadway actress, Promises, Promises, Shrek, and Cats, Georgia and America 1999

Visit our website or read the Be Distinguished Blog: www.DistinguishedYW.org COLLEGE-GRANTED SCHOLARSHIPS The Class of 2017 are eligible for college-granted scholarships from colleges and universities across the nation.

Arizona State University Gustavus Adolphus College Randolph College Tempe, AZ St. Peter, Minnesota Lynchburg, Virginia Four year, renewable full tuition resident Four year renewable scholarships: Four year, full tuition renewable scholarship with scholarship. Must maintain a 3.0 GPA and earn 30 • $7,000 - $20,000 annually recognizing any local/ maintenance of a 3.0 GPA to: ASU credit hours per year: state participant who shows significant academic • Distinguished Young Woman of America • Distinguished Young Woman of Arizona achievement, service or leadership in their high • Any State Winner Four year, renewable half tuition resident school, churches and communities $20,000 four year renewable scholarship with scholarship. Must maintain a 3.0 GPA and earn 30 maintenance of a 3.0 GPA to: ASU credit hours per year: Hood College • Any Distinguished Young Woman Runner Up • Distinguished Young Woman of Arizona 1st Frederick, Maryland (State and National level) Runner-up Four year, renewable full tuition scholarship with $6,000 - $20,000 four year renewable scholarship • Distinguished Young Woman of Arizona 2nd maintenance of a 3.0 GPA to: with maintenance of 3.0 GPA to: Runner-up • Distinguished Young Woman of America • Any Distinguished Young Woman Participant $13,000 per year, for four years. Must maintain a • Any State Winner *Scholarship is not stackable 3.0 GPA and earn 30 ASU credit hours per year: Four year, renewable half tuition scholarship with • Any State Winners (except Arizona) maintenance of a 3.0 GPA to: Spring Hill College *Scholarship is not stackable • Any Distinguished Young Woman Participant Mobile, Alabama *Scholarship is not stackable Four year full tuition scholarship: Auburn University • Distinguished Young Woman of America Auburn, Alabama Huntingdon College Four year, renewable full tuition scholarship: Montgomery, Alabama Stetson University • Distinguished Young Woman of America with Four year renewable scholarships: Central Florida 3.5 GPA and 26 ACT or equivalent SAT score • Full tuition to State Winners (limited to 5 Four-year Presidential Scholarship ranging from $13,000 per year, for four years: awards per year) $25,000 to $33,000. Must meet all applicable • State Winners with a 3.5 high school GPA and *Scholarship is not stackable enrollment requirements and maintain a 2.75 31 ACT or equivalent SAT score GPA: Equivalent SAT scores can be found at auburn.edu/ Judson College • Distinguished Young Woman of America testscores. Marion, Alabama • Distinguished Young Woman of Florida To receive the scholarship: Recipients must Four year full tuition scholarship: *Scholarship is not stackable complete the scholarship application through • Distinguished Young Woman of America with a the Auburn University Scholarship Opportunity 3.5 GPA Stevenson University Manager (AUSOM). • Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama with a Stevenson, Maryland *Scholarship is not stackable 3.5 GPA $15,000 renewable, four year scholarship to: • Any State Winner Chapman University Keystone College *Scholarship is not stackable Orange, California La Plume, Pennsylvania Four year renewable Presidential Scholarship to Four year, full tuition renewable scholarship: Troy University any State Winner and any Overall Scholastics • Any State Winner Troy, Alabama Winner at the state level: *Scholarship is not stackable Millennium Scholars Award: for any local/state • $29,000 annually/$116,000 total award participant with 3.7 GPA on a 4.0 scale and 32 Student must apply and qualify for Freshman McDaniel College ACT, 1420 SAT (verbal & math only) Admission. Scholarship is renewable provided Westminster, Maryland • For high school seniors: Four year, renewable student maintains full time attendance and $25,000 four-year renewable scholarship to full tuition scholarship plus room and board and established GPA requirements. student maintaining a 3.0 GPA or higher: out-of-state fee waiver *Scholarship is not stackable • Distinguished Young Woman of America • For community college transfers: Two year, • Distinguished Young Woman of Maryland renewable full tuition scholarship plus room and Columbia College *Scholarship is not stackable board and out-of-state fee waiver Columbia, South Carolina Chancelor’s Award: for any local/state participant Four year, full tuition scholarship with maintenance with 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 scale and 28 ACT, 1260 of a cumulative 3.0 GPA over the four years. SAT (verbal & math only) • All State Winners • For high school seniors: Four year renewable $1,000 per year Leadership Award. scholarship, full tuition and out-of-state fee • All South Carolina Local Winners waiver This award would replace any other merit • For community college transfers: Two year scholarship assistance with the exception of the renewable scholarship, full tuition and out-of- McNair Scholarship. state fee waiver COLLEGE-GRANTED SCHOLARSHIPS Continued...

University of Alabama University of Idaho Worcester State University Tuscaloosa, Alabama Moscow, Idaho Worcester, Massachusetts Four-year, full tuition scholarship, $5,000 Four year, renewable Go Idaho scholarship Four year, renewable full tuition and fees freshman year housing scholarship and $5,000 program guarantees these levels of funding from scholarship. Recipient must have a 3.75 High study abroad stipend: a combination of scholarships to all participants School GPA, a 1200 SAT and SAT sub scores • Distinguished Young Woman of America at the local/state level who are Idaho residents: of 500 or higher. Recipient must maintain a 3.3 Four-year, full tuition scholarship: • $4,000 with a 3.9-4.0 high school GPA GPA. To qualify, you must be awarded: • Any State Winner • $3,000 with a 3.75-3.899 high school GPA • Distinguished Young Woman of America Four-year, full tuition scholarship plus a $5,000 • $2,000 with a 3.4-3.749 high school GPA • Distinguished Young Woman of Massachusetts freshman year housing scholarship to: • $1,000 with a 3.0-3.399 high school GPA • Distinguished Young Woman of Rhode Island • Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama Four year, renewable Discover Idaho scholarship Student must apply and qualify for fall freshman • Alabama’s Overall Scholastics Winner program guarantees these levels of funding from admission, prior to March 1st for the following If a student is receiving a merit-based automatic a combination of scholarships to all participants semester. The scholarship is renewable for a offer that is less than tuition, this designation will at the local/state level who are non-residents: maximum of four contiguous years to recipients bump them to full tuition. A student cannot receive • $8,000 with a 3.9-4.0 high school GPA who maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.3 or higher. both a merit based award and program based • $6,000 with a 3.75-3.899 high school GPA *Scholarship is not stackable. tuition award. Should a student already be receiving • $5,000 with a 3.4-3.749 high school GPA a scholarship for the value of tuition, they will • $2,000 with a 3.0-3.399 high school GPA Xavier University of Louisiana receive a $2,000 per year stipend, $3,000 study New Orleans, Louisiana abroad stipend and $300 book scholarship (for 4 University of South Alabama $10,000 per year, four year renewable years). If the National Representative has already Mobile, Alabama scholarship with maintenance of a 3.3 GPA to: received a full-tuition scholarship, she will only Four year, renewable full tuition and fees, on- • Any local/state participant with 23 ACT and receive the housing scholarship and study abroad campus room and board scholarship. Recipient 3.3 high school GPA stipend. must maintain a 3.0 GPA. To qualify, you must be *Scholarship is not stackable. awarded: University of Alabama at • Distinguished Young Woman of America For Arizona State University, Auburn University, Birmingham • Distinguished Young Woman of Alabama Chapman University, Hood College, Huntingdon Birmingham, Alabama • National Overall Scholastics Winner College, Keystone College, McDaniel College, Four year, renewable scholarship to all • Any State winner with 30 ACT or 1330 SAT Randolph College, Stetson College, Stevenson participants who are AL residents (must be (CR + Math) and 3.0 GPA University, University of Alabama at Birmingham, admitted by December 1): *Scholarship is not stackable. University of South Alabama, Washington State • Presidential Recognition Scholarship: Full University, Worcester State University, Xavier tuition and fees with a 3.5 GPA and 30 ACT University of West Alabama University: If a student receives a scholarship of • Collegiate Honors Scholarship: $5,500 with a Livingston, Alabama higher value from the college, that scholarship 3.5 GPA and 27 ACT or 3.0 GPA and 30 ACT $5,000 four year renewable scholarship (with will replace the scholarship associated with • UAB Breakthrough Scholarship: $3,000 with a maintenance of 3.0 GPA) to: Distinguished Young Women. 3.5 GPA and 24 ACT • Any State Winner (with at least a 19 ACT) • UAB Academic Achievement Scholarship: $4,000 four year renewable scholarship (with $2,000 with a 3.5 GPA and 20 ACT or 3.0 maintenance of a 3.0 GPA) to: GPA and 24 ACT • Any State Runner Up (with at least a 19 ACT) Four year, renewable scholarship to all $3,000 four year renewable scholarship (with participants who are non-residents (must be maintenance of a 3.0 GPA) to: admitted by May 1): • Any State Finalist (with at least a 19 ACT) • Blazer Elite Scholarship: $15,000 with 3.5 GPA $2,000 four year renewable scholarship (with and 30 ACT maintenance of a 3.0 GPA) to: • Blazer Gold Scholarship: $12,000 with 3.5 GPA • Any local or state participant (with at least a and 26 ACT 19 ACT) • Blazer Pride Scholarship: $10,000 with 3.5 Academic scholarships at UWA start at a 21 GPA and 24 ACT or 3.0 GPA and 26 ACT composite ACT and would be awarded in addition • Blazer Distinction Scholarship: $7,500 with 3.5 to any of the awards listed above. GPA and 20 ACT or 3.0 GPA and 24 ACT All students must be U.S. citizens or permanent Washington State University residents and enroll in UAB coursework during Pullman, Washington the fall semester immediately following their high Four year full tuition scholarship at the Pullman school graduation in order to receive the awards campus: listed above. • Distinguished Young Woman of America *Scholarship is not stackable. *Scholarship is not stackable.