More than fifty scholarships to attend the Asilomar Conference have been awarded to teachers in the past three years alone. Scholarships are paid for in various ways--by the Central Council Teachers of English, by the Curriculum Study Commission, and by individual or groups of teachers as a memorial for friends or colleagues, such as the Chiyo Masuda Scholarship or in memory of those who have had a significant influence on teachers or on the teaching of English such as the James Gray Scholarships. The Ernie Karsten Scholarship is given by Ernie as a culmination of a career of teaching and a long term of service on the Curriculum Study Commission. While there are differing reasons for the creation of scholarships, the outcomes are very similar, to reach new and experienced teachers who would benefit from the Asilomar experience, but who would not be able to attend without the benefit of a scholarship and to increase attendance at the Asilomar Conference. In addition to the donation of large amounts of money, proceeds from the raffle of large “teacher baskets” help to pay for some of the scholarships and direct donations also help to defray the costs.

In these trying economic times, scholarships are more necessary than ever. Please consider offering a scholarship as a retirement gift, a birthday gift or in memory of a colleague who has died. You can also make a donation that will go toward the cost of a scholarship. If you would like more information about ways to support the scholarship program, contact Charleen Silva Delfino at csdelfino@yahoo.com.

Asilomar Scholarships