PASCACK VALLEY—The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County is accepting applications for its Fifth Annual High School Young Women’s Leadership Awards.
This year, seven awards will be given to outstanding students identifying as female, enrolled in their junior or senior years, and residing and/or attending a public or private a high school in eastern Bergen County.
Applicants living in and/or attending a school in any of these towns may apply: Alpine, Bergenfield, Closter, Cresskill, Demarest, Dumont, Englewood, Englewood Cliffs, Harrington Park, Haworth, Northvale, Norwood, Old Tappan, Rockleigh and Tenafly.
[If high school students living in any of the Pascack Valley towns attend, for example, Academy of the Holy Angels in Demarest, the Academy at Dwight Morrow High School (open to students in Bergen, Hudson and Passaic Counties), Dwight Englewood, or another public, private, or independent school in any of the 15 communities The Chest services, they can apply. The Chest told Pascack Press on Feb. 14 that students living outside of the Northern Valley have won.]
The deadline to apply is Tuesday, March 1.
“Thanks to their generous donation, The Chest increased the annual awards and expanded them to a larger group of recipients. Utilizing the skillset of Stacy Esser and SEG, The Chest is planning educational programs to enhance the skills of young women leaders in our community,” said Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer, The Chest’s executive director.
Candidates will have demonstrated a passion for leadership, compassion, innovation and the courage of their convictions in the community. They are required to complete an online application, provide a resume, and present two letters recommendation. Finalists will be notified and asked to participate in an interview with the application review committee.
The Community Chest’s High School Senior Young Women’s Leadership Awards provide a $5,000 award each to two finalists. Two runners-up will be awarded $1,000 each.
The Chest is also giving a Junior Young Woman’s Leadership Award. Three first place finalists will each receive a $500 award and an opportunity to participate in an internship with a local nonprofit during the school year or summer.
Applications, available at bit.ly/TheChestJunior2022, will be reviewed by an esteemed group of women leaders, who have volunteered to judge the applications. The winners receive a certificate memorializing their award to include in their college admissions packet. They are also invited to attend a celebration and meet local women leaders from the public and private sectors.
The Legacy of the Elizabeths
The leadership award honors the legacy of the three Elizabeths: Elizabeth Cutter Morrow, Elizabeth Morrow Morgan, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. During the Great Depression, Elizabeth Cutter Morrow, an Englewood resident, became the founding board chair of The Community Chest. Elisabeth Morrow Morgan, the founder of The Elisabeth Morrow School, grew up in Englewood. Tenafly resident Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a leader in the suffragist movement.
The Community Chest welcomes donations from the public to recognize the work of these young women. Contributions of any amount to support the awards may be sent by check with payment made out to The Community Chest, at 122 South Van Brunt Street, Englewood, NJ 07631.
Visit The Chest’s website, thecommunitychestebc.org, for more information about the Young Woman’s Leadership Award and the organization’s mission and work.
For more information about the Young Woman’s Leadership Award, call Executive Director Dr. Shelly Wimpfheimer at (201) 568-7474.
About The Community Chest
Founded in 1933, The Community Chest of Eastern Bergen County, a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization, has supported local not-for-profit agencies for 88 years. The Chest leads initiatives and supports nonprofits that make our communities stronger and benefit people in need in eastern Bergen County.
Each year, The Chest raises funds and allocates them to agencies demonstrating the capacity to provide services to local citizens. The organization also provides coordinating and planning services in its communities.