RISE Award
Recognition for Indigenous Scholarship and Engagement
The Opening Heart Mindfulness Community (OHMC) is creating an annual RISE Award — Recognition for Indigenous Scholarship and Engagement in partnership with Nekamaco, a women-led organization dedicated to supporting the Piscataway community as well as other Indigenous communities in the DMV area.
Our intention is simple: to come together across communities to help an Indigenous student pursue higher education while nurturing a spirit of reciprocity and continued service to their tribal community.
Rather than limiting this effort to members of OHMC, we invite friends, families, mindfulness communities, and other organizations to contribute. By bringing together contributions of all sizes, we hope to create a meaningful educational award for an Indigenous student beginning their first year of college.
Who the Award Will Support
The award will be available to an Indigenous student living in the DMV area who is preparing to enter college as a first-year student.
The student does not need to be Piscataway, and the selection process will be open to students of all genders.
We hope to support a student who demonstrates not only academic commitment but also a meaningful connection to community and a desire to contribute to the well-being and vitality of their tribal community.
A Spirit of Reciprocity
At the heart of this award is the understanding that education can be a form of community care.
We hope to support a young person whose education will strengthen their own path while creating possibilities for them to bring knowledge, skills, leadership, creativity, and compassion back to their tribal community.
In this way, our collective contributions become part of a larger circle of reciprocity: community supporting student, and student, in turn, strengthening community.
Selection Process
The award will be administered through Nekamaco, providing a community-based structure for the selection and administration of the award.
A selection committee will include:
Three representatives from Nekamaco
Two representatives from OHMC’s Engaged Mindfulness Circle
Potential selection criteria include:
Self-nomination or nomination by someone in the student’s community
A 500-word essay
Good academic standing
Information from people or organizations who know the student and their circumstances
Demonstrated commitment to caring for and contributing to their tribal community
The process will not require FAFSA information or other personal financial documentation, allowing the selection committee to avoid handling sensitive financial information.
Building the Award Together
We do not yet know how much we will be able to raise. For this reason, we envision this as an award rather than a scholarship, with the final amount determined by the generosity of participating individuals and communities.
Depending on the amount raised, the award may help with tuition, books, supplies, or other college-related expenses.
Proposed Annual Timeline
Early November–January 15: Contributions are accepted.
January–March: The award opportunity is announced and nominations are gathered.
April–early May: A collaborative selection process takes place between representatives of OHMC’s Engaged Mindfulness Circle and Nekamaco.
Early–mid-May: The recipient is notified of the award.
Our goal is for the student to know the amount of support they can count on before making their college decision.
An Invitation to Participate
This initiative offers us an opportunity to practice engaged mindfulness through generosity, relationship, and reciprocity.
We invite people beyond our own community to join us in creating a circle of support around an Indigenous student. Every contribution, regardless of size, can become part of something larger. Individuals and communities are encouraged to explore creative ways of fundraising, both individually and through community-based efforts.
Together, we can help open a door to higher education—and support a young person whose gifts and learning may, in turn, nourish their tribal community for years to come.
How to Contribute
To make a contribution, visit the Opening Heart Mindfulness Community website and click the Donate button in the upper-right corner. Then scroll down to the button labeled:
RISE Award for an Indigenous Student
Donations will be collected through a GoFundMe account administered by Magda with the support of the Engaged Mindfulness Circle and the oversight of OHMC’s Financial and Legal Board. Please note that contributions are not tax-deductible.
For questions, please email Magda at magda.cabrero@truejustice4youth.org.
Thank you so much for your generosity and support.
A lotus for you,
The Engaged Mindfulness Circle
Magda, Phyllis & Sheila