The FRA Marie Silverman Scholarship Award honors Florida's reading educators. The scholarship was established in memory of Marie Silverman, a dedicated educator who worked to promote reading at the local and state levels. The recipient(s) of a full-time Marie Silverman Scholarship will be awarded up to one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) and the part-time recipient(s) will be awarded up to five hundred ($500.00). Award preference will be given to full-time applicants who are active members in their local, state, or national IRA organization.

Guidelines and Procedures:

An applicant must:

1. Be enrolled or plan to enroll in a university in the state of Florida.
2. Register for full-time or part-time graduate level work toward a degree with a major / emphasis in the field of reading. (Part-time is defined as accepted in a planned program and carrying 6 hours per semester.)
3. Have three years of successful classroom teaching experience.
4. Be a member of IRA, FRA, and a local or special interest FRA council (photo copy of membership cards or verification letter from council president required).
5. Submit the following items to the Administrative Committee Chairperson (past president) by June 1^st:
   1. Completed application form.
   2. Vita/Resume
   3. Copy of letter of acceptance in a graduate degree program with a major/emphasis in the field of reading.
   4. Verification of full-time or part-time status.
   5. Three letters of recommendation. These letters should be from a university professor, a principal or supervisor, and a local or special interest FRA council president and address your commitment to literacy and potential for success in a graduate program.

FRA Selection Procedure

Completed applications and all supporting materials must be submitted to the FRA Administrative Committee chairperson by March 1. The chairperson will forward all application materials to the Awards and Scholarship Coordinator who will present the materials to the committee.

The FRA Administrative Committee will recommend to the FRA Board the number of scholarships to be awarded based on the available funds and the number of QUALIFIED applicants. A formal presentation of the scholarship will be made at the book and author function at the FRA Annual Conference. FRA will provide the winner(s) with a ticket for the event.

Each applicant is encouraged to double check all the details on his/her application to be certain that all criteria have been met. Special consideration shall be given to candidates who are active members in their local, state, or national IRA organization.

Marie Silverman Scholarship Award Application

The downloadable application form is in Portable Document Format (PDF) and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free of charge from Adobe.

Send application to:

Ann Smith
4142 Camino Real
Sarasota, FL 34231

Marie Silverman Scholarship Award Winners

2013                            Andrea Lauren Thoermer, Graduate Teaching Assistant at UF, Gainesville

2012                            No Qualified Applicant

2011                            No Qualified Applicant

2010                            Andrea Kauffman,  Jacksonville Beach  ($550.00)

2009                            Jeanne Marie Petroniom, Cape Coral, FL ($300.00)

2008                            No recipient- applicant ineligible

2007                            No recipient- applicants ineligible

2006                            Cynthia Moredock, Broward County ($1,000.00)

2005                            Cynthia Moredock,  Broward County   ($1,000.00)

2000                            Suzanne Sazpansky Naiman, Sarasota County  ($500.00)

                                    Jennifer Anne Richard, Pasco County  ($100.00)

1999                            Katrina Willard Hall,  Alachua County ($500.00)

                                    Lori MacNeal Grieb,  Hillsborough County ($500.00)

1998                            Maria Elena Arguelles, Miami, FL    

1997                            Michelle Anne Lehmkuhler, Nokomis, FL  ($600.00)

                                    Richard F. Gaspar, Apollo Beach, FL ($600.00)

1993                            Joni Ramer, Bradenton, FL  ($1,000.00)

                                    Marie Elizabeth Hughes, Homestead, FL ($1,000.00)

                                    Edna Greene Brabham, Panacea, FL   ($1,000.00)

1992                            Karen Young, Sarasota, FL  ($1,000.00)

                                    Maureen Tinsley, Palm Bay, FL   ($500.00)

                                    Judith Aymond, Gainesville, FL  ($1,000.00)

1985                            Aleida Bardena-Cao, West Miami, FL  ($1,000.00)