(From Soroptimist International of Joplin)The Soroptimist Live Your Dream: Education and Training Awards for Women® (LYDA) provides women who serve as the primary wage earners for their families with the financial resources to offset costs associated with their efforts to attain higher education or additional skills.
Recipients can use the award for tuition, books, childcare, carfare, or any other education-related expense. Each year, over $3 million is provided in cash grants to over 2300 women in need, many of whom have overcome enormous obstacles, including poverty, the death of a spouse, or substance abuse. Over half of Live Your Dream Awards® recipients are survivors of domestic violence, trafficking, or sexual assault.
Since the program’s inception in 1972, more than $45 million has helped tens of thousands of women achieve their dreams of a better life for themselves and their families—leading to stronger communities, nations, and the world.
The Live Your Dream Award® starts at the club level, where award amounts vary, with a minimum award of $1,000. This year, Soroptimist International of Joplin will award more than $17,000 locally, directly supporting women in our community as they work toward greater economic independence and a better future for themselves and their families.
Club-level recipients then become eligible for region-level awards granted in each of Soroptimist’s 29 regions. First-place region recipients go on to become candidates for one of three $10,000 finalist awards.
“LYDA is more than an award for education—it is a reminder that her goals are worth believing in, says program chair Kristine Gustafson. “Most LYDA recipients carry a story of perseverance, courage, and hope for something better. We are so excited to be able to invest in the women in our community."
Applications are available at https://apply.soroptimist.org/, or by contacting Kristine Gustafson, Award Chair, at 417.624.5500 ext.118 or kristine@joplinclinic.org.
Deadline is Sunday, November 15, 2026, and applicants must include written statements from two references.
Soroptimist International of Joplin is part of Soroptimist International of the Americas, a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. The Soroptimist Live Your Dream Awards® is the signature project of Soroptimist International of the Americas. Soroptimist, a 501(c)(3) organization that relies on charitable donations to support its programs, also powers LiveYourDream.org—an online community offering offline volunteer opportunities in support of women and girls.
For more information about how Soroptimist improves the lives of women and girls, visit www.soroptimist.org, www.joplinsoroptimist.org, or www.facebook.com/SIJoplin.
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