Soroptimist International of Grosse Pointe

Honors a woman who is enrolled in a university degree program, i.e., Bachelor, Master or Doctorate program and shows effort toward scholarship and has done volunteer work in the community and/or school and has a financial need.

Career Support for Girls gives girls the tools they need to achieve their education and career goals, empowering them to break cycles of poverty, violence, and abuse. By reaching girls while they are still young, we not only can help them stay healthy and safe in the short term, but we can reduce the number of women in crisis in the future. Putting them on a path will help them realize their dreams.

Acknowledges a woman who has made a significant difference improving the lives of women and girls in her community.

Often the abilities and ambitions of local Soroptimist clubs exceed their financial resources. To help clubs meet community need, Soroptimist introduced the Soroptimist Club Grants for Women and Girls in 1997 to assist with community service projects that improve the lives of women and girls. The Soroptimist organization funds about $175,000 each year in Soroptimist Club Grants. Recent projects include providing resources for immigrant women fleeing domestic violence; funding a micro-enterprise artisan project for low-income women; providing reproductive health services for women in poverty; and teaching marketable job skills to girls with disabilities.

Soroptimist International of Grosse Pointe (SIGP) recognizes that Live Your Dream (LYD) recipients often continue to experience significant economic challenges that impact their ability to continue their educational program. In 2018 SIGP established the Continuing Education Award to provide additional financial support to our LYD recipients as they work toward completing their educational goals. Should LYD recipients continue to be enrolled in their vocational skills or educational program, maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative Grade Point Average, and continue to experience significant financial need, they would be eligible to receive $500 a year for up to 4 years after the original LYD award. This award can be used to help offset tuition costs, purchase books, get transportation, find reliable childcare or in any other way that allows the recipient to focus on reaching her dreams. The application form, personal statement and official college transcript are due no later than January

The Soroptimist International of Grosse Pointe (SIGP) Mentoring for Success Program was established in 2020 to assist our club’s Live Your Dream and Virginia Wagner Education Award recipients in meeting their educational and career goals. The award recipients are matched with a SIGP member who will serve as a mentor in providing emotional support (e.g. caring and acceptance), instrumental support (e.g. information, coaching and advocacy) and potential networking experience to the recipient. SIGP’s aim is to provide an opportunity for our members and our award recipients to work together in breaking down the barriers and meeting the challenges that mentees face as they continue their enrollment in college and ultimately complete their degrees or reach their career goals.