The Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies
Curtis A. Brooks Memorial
Scholarship Fund
APPLICATION INFORMATION AND PROCEDURES
Mission Statement:
The mission of the Ohio Association of Community Action Agencies (OACAA) Curtis A. Brooks Memorial Scholarship Fund is to honor him by finding a person who hopes to pursue a career that will have a positive effect on those among us who need assistance.
Purposes:
* To enable students to attend an accredited institution of higher education by awarding scholarship assistance.
* To provide a $1,000 award to be used for tuition, books, fees, and possibly living expenses for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Eligibility Criteria:
To be eligible, an applicant must meet all of the following criteria:
1. Pursuing a degree in social work, social service, child development, political science, public administration, or a related field
2. Has an income no greater than 80% of the median income for the Columbus Metropolitan Area
3. Is fifty-five years old or younger
4. Is pursuing a first, second, or third career. (Those changing careers in mid-life are welcome to apply)
5. Will attend an accredited institution in the United States.
Application Procedures:
The completed application must be submitted (postmarked) to Community Action Committee of Pike County by June 17th to be considered for the scholarship selection.
Each OACAA-member Community Action Agency will determine whether eligibility criteria have been met, screen applicants and recommend applicants for consideration by OACAA. Members of the Selection Committee will review the applications submitted from each Community Action Agency and will be announced at the OACAA Summer Conference in Columbus. The selection committee will make its determination by July 15, 2022.
Application Information:
Curtis A. Brooks Memorial Scholarship Application
Applications are to be submitted to:
CAC of Pike County
C/O Amber Wheeler
941 Market Street
Piketon, Ohio 45661
Background Information:
Ohio’s Community Action Agencies serve all 88 counties across the state. Each assess local community needs to create local community solutions. There is no “typical” CAA because each is governed by the leadership and specific needs of its local community. But despite this fact, Community Action Agencies as a network approach fighting the causes of poverty and may do so in familiar ways such as by tacking workforce and economic development needs, improving education opportunities for children and adults, or coordinating emergency services.
Local agencies serve low-income children, families, and seniors and do so with a holistic approach to address the entire family and situation rather than prescirbing a one-size-fits-all approach. CAAs provide linkages to job training opportunities, GED preparation courses, and vocational education programs. They provide a range of services addressing poverty-related problems from income management and credit counseling to entrepreneurial development and small business incubators; from domestic violence crisis assistance to family development programs and parenting classes; from food pantries and emergency shelters to low-income housing development and community revitalization projects. Community Action helps people and changes lives by creating realistic pathways to success. The common goal is to enable people to become independent of any public or charitable assistance and reach their fullest potential.
Curtis A. Brooks was Executive Director of Columbus Metropolitan Area Community Action Organization (CMCAO) for thirty years and a visionary leader in the Community Action movement both in Ohio and nationally.
Median Income Guidelines for the City of Columbus
Based on the number of people in your household, if your gross annual income is the amount listed on the chart above or less, than you might qualify for low income status.
To determine if you qualify for low income status, you must have your income verified by the Scholarship Program staff.
Income status determines priority for awarding the scholarships. It also determines if your family will be responsible for paying any tuition that is not covered by the scholarship.