Chautauqua grant opportunity for July

The Highlights Foundation is offering 25 grants of $1000 each to SCBWI members — one from each of 25 regions — to offset the costs of their summer conference at Chautauqua, New York, this July. The grant does NOT pay ALL the fees — recipients are still responsible for $985 in tuition, plus travel and lodging. But the grant is still a chance for a bargain if you've wanted to go to Chautauqua and haven't been able to fit it into the budget.

The opportunity is time sensitive, because SCBWI has more than 25 regions, and the grants will be distributed on a first-come, first served basis, one per region, until they are gone.

A few more details:

The Highlights Foundation is offering a $1000 grant toward the $2400 tuition for the Writers Workshop at Chautauqua, July 17-24, 2010. In addition to the grant, the Foundation will subtract their early-registration discount of $415, which makes the tuition $985. This price includes all meals and conference supplies, as well as your gate pass providing you access to the grounds of the Chautauqua Institution.

The only costs additional to the $985 tuition are your transportation and housing. We have rented a variety of housing within easy walking distance of our activities. If selecting your lodging through us, you pay us for it. We also coordinate shuttle service from the three nearby airports. You will pay the shuttle service directly at time of service.

Now the instructions: First, make sure you want to apply. (That is, you can go then and you have the money to cover the additional costs.) Then e-mail scbwiwa@scbwi-washington.org. The first regional SCBWI member to contact us will receive the instructions for proceeding with the Foundation.