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Important Dates
Important Dates
October 6, 2026: Introduction meeting in room D25 at 2:35 PM
October 16, 2026: Application is due through Google Classroom (use code: jeifm4yu to sign up)
October 26-October 30, 2026: Category interviews will take place
November 4, 2026: School winners will be announced
November 10, 2026: Sterling Scholar pictures (location TBD)
December 10, 2026: Portfolio building day
January 11, 2027: Electronic portfolios due online (no exceptions)
STUDENT PREPARATION
STUDENT PREPARATION
For those who wish to get a jump start on preparing to apply to be a Sterling Scholar, read through the following materials and start building your portfolio.
*Most Sterling Scholar finalists have high grade point averages and have excelled in higher-level classes (i.e. IB, AP, concurrent enrollment, honors, and so forth). Thus, beginning your sophomore year, it is highly encouraged that you enroll in some academically rigorous classes. Not only will this help you in terms of future scholarship opportunities, but you'll develop skills that will help you throughout life.
*Another area that the judges want to see is school involvement and leadership. Thus, begin listing all clubs, extracurricular activities, performing art's events, and so forth that you have been a part of. If you've been involved in the school musical, make sure you find a copy of the program listing your role(s). If you've been involved in the Dance Company, find all your concert programs. If you've been involved in the photography club, start finding examples of your work. If you are a member of the National Honor Society, find your certificates. If you played volleyball, find pictures of you on the court. If you served on the newspaper staff, find an example of an article you wrote. Start collecting these artifacts now. If you had any leadership roles, make sure to document those as well. The judges want to see school and community leadership roles primarily, so focus on these before religious roles.
*Another area that the judges want to see excellence is community service. Judges at all levels want to see a HISTORY of long-term service; thus, if you haven't participated in developing and participating in service projects within the community, it is highly suggested that you get started. Bonus: The judges love to see that the participant developed a specific plan for addressing an authentic need in his/her community, contacted the appropriate companies/individuals in charge of approving such projects, and put together a meaningful project that takes place over time. Long-term projects and projects that a candidate held a leadership role earn more points at the regional and state levels. See below for some possible ideas from past Sterling Scholar recipients:
Examples of Community Service:
Examples of Community Service:
*Collecting donations from the community, making hygiene kits for the refugees, and sending these kits to the appropriate distribution centers.
*Collecting children's books and donating them to a local hospital. Then, starting a storybook hour at the hospital where you spend time reading to the kids.
*Setting up an after-school free tutoring service for local elementary kids at the library.
*Working with the park service to make some hiking trails wheelchair accessible.
*Contacting different retirement homes and providing free classes for the residents (i.e. dance, music, art).
*Crocheting hats and scarves, selling them through athletic events at the school, and then using the proceeds generated to make hats/scarves for the homeless.
*Offering free dance lessons to underprivileged kids, and then having them perform at local retirement centers.
*Volunteering to coach an athletic team and/or provide free lessons.
*Hosting an evening of literary fun (i.e. SLAM poetry), and then using the proceeds/donations to purchase a classroom library for a Title-1 elementary school.
*Working with the forest service to install birdhouses, bat houses, and/or nesting boxes for local wildlife.
*Volunteering regularly at the local animal shelter and creating a campaign to get homeless pets adopted into good homes.
*Creating a park clean-up and/or restoration committee. Getting approval through the appropriate channels, and then going to different parks throughout the county to help clean-up and/or restore the area.
*Participating in construction projects to renovate homes for the underprivileged and/or unable (Habitat for Humanity).
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