Created by and for FAWCO clubs, the Awards Program recognizes and honors the academic excellence and all-around achievement of the children of FAWCO members as well as FAWCO members themselves. FAWCO hopes to promote international understanding and good will by giving annual awards for study, in the US or abroad, at high school, undergraduate and graduate levels to these well educated, linguistically gifted and internationally- oriented children. Therefore, every year the Foundation recognizes their unique gifts and honors their excellence by giving the best of them awards carrying grants to help them pursue education overseas and in the US.

Since the first award was given under the aegis of The Foundation in 1972, many hundreds of thousands of dollars have been given to over 150 recipients. Every year we adjust the program to funds available, and to the changing needs of members and members' children.

The 2009 Awards Program includes awards for children of members for university level study in Arts, Sciences and Humanities. Two awards will be available for FAWCO club members; one for continuing or resuming education in an undergraduate or graduate level university and a second, new for 2009, for acquiring new skills or enhancing already existing ones.

This year, for the first time, the Dual Cultural Award will be open to both children and grandchildren of FAWCO members to attend a semester of American high school or an academic or structured educational summer program in the United States.

To better help parents of children with special challenges such as physical handicap, hearing impairment, visual impairment, autism, traumatic brain injury, or with a specific learning disability, The Foundation has created a Fund for specialized training or tutoring at a recognized private or public school, or other specialized institution, for a therapy program carried out by licensed professionals, or for special equipment or devices needed to facilitate the student’s educational progress. FAWCO members with special needs children between the ages of 5 and 15 are eligible to apply to this fund.

The Foundation Awards Program is open to all FAWCO club members and their children, regardless of nationality and regardless of whether or not your affiliated Club has made a contribution to The Foundation’s programs. The children of the members of the Board of Directors as well as Directors themselves, however, are not eligible for awards.
The 2009 Awards will be announced in March at the FAWCO Conference in Vilnius.