In 2017, the OrigamiUSA Board of Directors approved a fund to pilot a scholarship program for young origami enthusiasts to attend the Pacific Coast Origami Convention (PCOC) 2017 in Redondo Beach, CA. After a very successful experience, we continued the scholarship program, funding two more young people to attend the Annual Convention 2018 at St. John’s University. Subsequently, with funds raised from generous members, scholarships were given in 2019 for both Annual Convention and PCOC, in 2020 for Annual Convention and in 2021 for both Annual Convention and PCOC. Due to COVID, none of the 2020 and 2021 conventions were held in person and therefore no recipients were able to attend a convention in person. We resumed our scholarship program in 2023.
We anticipate awarding two scholarships for the OrigamiUSA Annual Convention July 19–22, 2024 in New York City.
Nominations will open on April 1, 2024, and will close on May 1, 2024, 6:00 pm EDT. Award notifications will be sent in May.
Please direct any questions to scholarships [at] origamiusa.org.
Nomination Criteria
A nominee should be a young person who shows great promise as a folder and who would benefit from developing their skills and ideas by attending an origami convention. The nominee does not have to be a creator/designer. We value involvement in the origami community. Our main focus is their passion and potential.
- The nominee must be 18 years old or younger on December 31, 2024.
- The nominee can reside anywhere in the world. If a chosen nominee resides outside the United States, the recipient/family is responsible for passports and any required visas.
- The online nomination form must be completed and submitted by May 1, 2024, 6:00 pm EDT.
- The nomination must be approved by an adult Parent/Guardian by sending an email by May 1, 2024, 6:00 pm EDT to scholarships [at] origamiusa.org.
Scholarship Benefits
The scholarship benefits for each chosen nominee and a parent/guardian include:
- Convention fees for each chosen nominee.
- Convention housing and food for each chosen nominee and accompanying parent/guardian. Travel reimbursement allowance (including air) up to $500 for each chosen nominee and up to $500 for their accompanying parent/guardian.
- A one-year Junior Membership in OrigamiUSA.
Nomination Process
Submit your nomination by filling out this form:
- Scholarship nominations are now closed.
You should receive a confirmation email after submitting the form. Once you've received the confirmation, the adult parent/legal guardian must send a separate email from their own email address to scholarships [at] origamiusa.org with the following statement:
I, the parent of _________________________________, consent to this nomination and I or my appointed Adult guardian, am willing to accompany ___________________________ to the OrigamiUSA-sponsored convention(s) applied for.
If the young person is accepted, we will need to verify this with a signature by postal mail.
If you don't receive a confirmation email or have any questions about the submission process, send an email to scholarships [at] origamiusa.org.
We are thrilled that we can offer young, enthusiastic folders this opportunity. Let us know if you have any questions. If you have further questions, please feel free to email scholarships [at] origamiusa.org.