TESOL Financial Aid Opportunities

Last year, I attended TESOL Boston by using all of my airline rewards miles to get me there. Since I hadn’t been to a conference in a while, I was surprised to see how much the registration cost.  Therefore, I volunteered eight hours at the conference and received a $50 rebate on the conference fee.  It was actually fun for me because I volunteered in the Electronic Village and got to meet many of my peers in the Computer-assisted Language Learning-Interest Section, plus I was present at many ticketed events.  If you’re interested in volunteering this year, fill out this form: http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/convention2011/volunteerform.asp.  Not all volunteer opportunities are listed, so contact your special interest group.

This time around, I decided to apply for a  professional grant and scholarship to attend the conference, since I lost a day of learning when volunteering last year. I had beginner’s luck and was awarded both!  The professional grant allows me to attend a pre-conference institute, something I’ve never been able to afford.  The scholarship paid for my conference registration.  My only duty as a recipient is to volunteer two hours in the raffle booth.  The raffle ticket sales support the scholarship, so make sure you drop by the booth!  If you’re interested in learning more, here is their PowerPoint informational presentation:  There’s a TESOL Grant for Everyone!

Your Convention Blogger,
Sandra Annette Rogers