Purpose/Mission of the Marie-Louise Ansak Scholarship Fund

}         To provide meaningful self-development opportunities for staff, which will positively contribute to their lives and can be shared with On Lok’s PACE program Lifeways participants.

}         To provide an opportunity that On Lok would not typically provide for staff.

}         To help foster creativity in excellence and practice.

}         To cover the cost of all classes, materials, equipment and release time necessary for the successful completion of the project.

The scholarship program is designed to enhance, not substitute, On Lok’s on-going required or job-specific training for staff. The distinction between the two is the primary beneficiary: On Lok-provided training (including academic scholarships as well as on-the-job training and workshops) benefits participants primarily and the staff member secondarily; MLA scholarship-enabled training benefits the staff member allowing them to develop skills that in turn benefit participants. The scholarship is offered twice a year in spring and fall. Scholarship guidelines and applications are included with employees’ paycheck distribution.

Project and Applicant History

In 1992, Marie-Louise Ansak received an Allied Signal award of $30,000. She donated the amount back to On Lok with the stipulation that the On Lok Inc. Board supplement this with an amount of $270,000 to increase the total fund amount to $300,000 and that the fund be used as an endowment fund for training staff to benefit participants. During the fundraising process On Lok was also awarded $25,000 by the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. Fund. The MLA scholarship fund is set up in perpetuity.

Since its inception the scholarship program has succeeded in assisting the successful completion of 110 scholarship projects. These projects involved 258 applicants, not including the staff that worked with them to coordinate the activities. Over 6000 participants benefited from the projects, directly or as appreciative audience members. Total costs for the projects, completed thus far, have totaled $51,533.18.

Applicants have come from all areas throughout direct care and administration. The broad spectrum of applicants clearly demonstrates the commitment of staff to engage in the lives of participants, regardless of their professional role. Many groups have been successful in combining their projects to form diverse center-based events, resulting in specialized programming that the participants thoroughly enjoy.

Project Examples of Previous Scholarship Winners

The majority of the projects have been in the creative arts and performance category. Activities have been made possible through the on-going collaboration and support of the Recreation department. The following are just a sample of the types of creative projects carried out since the program began in 1999:

}         Mosaic tile

}         Shibori silk scarf dyeing and silk painting

}         Chinese folk, Hawaiian, Latin, International Ballroom, Pan-American, Korean fan, Mongolian, and Tai Chi dancing

}         Musical instruments: piano, gu zhen, guitar

}         “Creating Your Life in Balance” art project

}         Watercolor painting

}         Personal video storymaking

Other projects have involved food preparation or cooking demonstrations. These projects are among the most popular, since they not only feature foods that are familiar to our participants but provide an opportunity for them to prepare foods and connect with one another. Some examples are:

}         Sushi

}         Soup and dessert preparation

}         Baking

}         Thai cooking

}         Food garnishing

Recently applicants have branched out into new areas to pilot programs at On Lok or to provide opportunities for participants to improve their overall well-being. Some examples are:

}         Chi Kung meditation workshops

}         Kitchen medicine

}         Tai Chi

}         Aromatherapy