Improving diversity and inclusion in our programs is a key priority for Homeward Bound, and and we are delighted to announce two scholarships that offer financial support to #TeamHB6.
#TeamHB6 Scholarship Recipients from top left LAC Scholarship winner Gabriela Sardinha, and Packard Foundation recipients Alessandra Salgado, Debatri Chattopadhyay, and bottom row from left, Samantha Elie, Shivani Jain, and Yurong Yu.
Latin American & Carribean States (LAC) Scholarship
The first is a very special scholarship because it comes from one of our alumna. #TeamHB3’s Anabella Palacios’ fundraising efforts for her own Homeward Bound program and Antarctic voyage inspired her to raise money for a future participant, with the goal of increasing participation from women in LAC.
Gabriela Sardinha in #TeamHB6 has been selected for Anabella’s LAC Scholarship of USD$2000 towards program fees. A Homeward Bound Latina Committee selected Gabriela because of her incredible courage and work in Southern Brazil at the front face of climate impacts in the coastal zone of Florianopolis, Br.
Anabella said all of her fundraising happened in less than two months leading up to her HB3 Antarctica voyage and was primarily through her Chuffed page, personal contacts and social media, and also some local newspapers.
“Latino women and women of color face even more obstacles and a steeper path to leadership positions. I also wanted to set a leadership example of generosity and gratitude in this world,” she said.
“I felt – and feel now – extremely grateful for the opportunities I have had along the way that helped me to be selected among the exclusive group of women that are part of Homeward Bound, and help others to have the same opportunity for training and networking.”
Packard Scholarship
The second scholarship has been made possible through the generosity of The David and Lucile Packard Foundation (link), and acknowledges the incredible achievements of recipients, and their ability to contribute to change in the future.
The Foundation offers grants to support leaders and institutions working on issues its founders care about most, including climate change, ocean conservation, and empowering the next generation of scientists and engineers.
The five successful recipients who were granted a USD$2000 scholarship towards program fees were:
- Alessandra Salgado
- Debatri Chattopadhyay
- Samantha Elie
- Shivani Jain
- Yurong Yu
The Homeward Bound Scholarships committee rank scholarships based on the following criteria:
- Woman from a country most affected by climate change (filtered by CRI Ranking from the Global Climate Risk Index)
- Economically least likely to pay (filtered by the World Bank Income Index)
- Woman most able to contribute to change – knowledge and influence, could make a material difference, if she had community support.
Once scholarship applications have been ranked according to the criteria above, the scholarship committee then considers each application according to the applicant’s ability to contribute to change.
Homeward Bound Operations Manager Narelle Sullivan says #TeamHB6 is the most diverse group to participate in the program to date and that it is a delight to be able to offer financial assistance to six women in the program.
“We are conscious of our responsibility to not only increase the number of women at the leadership table, but also to ensure the diversity of those voices so that decisions made for our planet best reflect the needs of all communities.”