DAVENPORT SCHOLARSHIP
The AIFS Foundation in the USA – the organizer of the Academic Year in America program – believes that every motivated and talented student deserves the chance to participate in a valuable cultural exchange program like AYA, regardless of their financial situation. For this reason, the special Ben Davenport Scholarship was created, named after the longtime Chairman of the AIFS Foundation, who dedicated his life to supporting the education of students from around the world. The Davenport Scholarship aims to support students with exceptional achievements and genuine financial need, who otherwise would not be able to participate in the year-long high school program in the United States. We invite students who meet the conditions listed below to apply for the Davenport Scholarship. Scholarship recipients will have the opportunity to participate in the Academic Year in America (AYA) program for one academic year: 2025/2026 (from August/September 2025 to April/May 2026).
The final candidates will be selected based on the following criteria:
1. Exceptional academic or creative achievements
Students who demonstrate great commitment to academics or artistic creativity, while also possessing a high level of English proficiency, may qualify for the Davenport Scholarship. Achievements and talents may take various forms, but when qualifying for the Davenport Scholarship, we pay special attention to students with documented achievements in the fields of art, music, theater, or other creative disciplines that require dedication, discipline, and commitment.
2. Motivation
An ideal scholarship recipient should show exceptional motivation to take on new challenges, broaden their horizons, and pursue personal development.
3. Maturity
Emotional and social maturity is an essential trait for any participant in a cultural exchange program. Candidates should demonstrate the ability to independently handle new responsibilities, live harmoniously within a new social group, and adapt to different living conditions.
4. Adaptability
Flexibility and adaptability are key traits for gaining opportunities for growth in a foreign country. Candidates should be willing and able to adjust to different cultural contexts and positively engage in the life of communities different from their own.
5. Communication
Students must be willing and able to resolve conflicts in a spirit of kindness and understanding of the other party’s needs, use intercultural communication strategies, and maintain an open and non-judgmental mindset throughout the experience.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
How to apply
An applicant for the Davenport Scholarship is first asked to submit, by October 15, 2024, to the address aya@aifs.pl, an essay in English, 500-1000 words in length (1-2 A4 pages), in which they:
1. Introduce themselves and describe their family and school environment from which they come and where they study.
2. Discuss in detail their academic and/or artistic achievements.
3. Provide detailed examples of situations where they demonstrated high motivation, maturity, open-mindedness, adaptability, and communication skills.
4. Explain why their current family financial situation prevents them from independently funding participation in the program (this point is not mandatory, but its absence will prevent the committee from considering the student’s financial situation during the application evaluation, which may affect the final evaluation result).
If the applicant is selected as a candidate for the Scholarship, they must submit the application form and all required documents by December 1, 2024. This deadline cannot be extended!
This essay is an opportunity for candidates to showcase their strengths, academic or creative achievements, as well as their passion for international exchange and potential to play the role of outstanding ambassadors for their country.
Due to the widespread use of AI (such as ChatGPT), it should be emphasized that essays identified as written with AI assistance will not be accepted. Authenticity, honesty, and the student’s engagement in the educational and qualification process are more important than the perfect form of the essay.
Attention! Due to the need to protect the personal data of the student and their family, the essay must be sent by email in the form of a password-protected PDF or MS Word file, and the password should be sent separately – to the phone number received in the reply to the above-mentioned email.
The potential scholarship recipient must also meet all the standard program requirements.
Notice of selection
and further procedures
All submitted essays will be read by October 31, 2024 by a committee, which will conduct a detailed evaluation of the essays according to the criteria established by the AIFS Foundation, select scholarship candidates, and promptly inform them of the selection results via the candidate’s email address from which the essay was sent.
What exactly does the Davenport Scholarship cover and what are the additional conditions?
1. The funding exclusively covers the program fee for the 10-month AYA program in the 2025/2026 season. The funding does not cover the cost of flights to and from the USA or any personal expenses during the program (including daily school lunches if the participant does not wish to use packed lunches prepared by the host family), nor any other incidental costs (such as clothing, cosmetics, admission tickets, etc.), or any medical or similar expenses not covered by AYA’s standard medical insurance (the cost of AYA’s standard insurance is covered by the Davenport Scholarship).
2. Scholarship recipients must commit to at least 25 hours of community service during the program, as suggested by the host community.
3. Scholarship recipients must also share their own experiences from the cultural exchange by giving at least three presentations during International Education Week, which takes place in November during the program and is organized by the U.S. Department of State in cooperation with the Department of Education. The presentations may be given at school, in the local community, or online, including on social media.
4. After the program concludes, scholarship recipients must write an essay in English, 500-1000 words long, containing a description and personal reflection on the year spent with the AYA program in the United States. This essay should particularly highlight the experiences gained, the challenges faced and how they were overcome, as well as the impact of the cultural exchange on their life and personal development. This essay must be submitted to AYA no later than 14 days after returning from the program.
Fulfilling all the above tasks and conditions is essential to maintaining the scholarship, having the program recognized as completed, and receiving the Certificate of Participation. Failure to meet any of the above conditions or to complete the tasks will result in the loss of the scholarship and the obligation to return its value, i.e., the annual cost of the AYA program as per the 2025/2026 season, to the AIFS Foundation.
Any questions regarding the Scholarship should be directed via email to aya@aifs.pl.
Before sending any inquiries, personal data, and essays to AYA, please carefully review the AIFS Poland privacy policy and the AYA privacy policy.