the POP project and scholarship

hey guys- as a lifelong musician and future teacher, few things infuriate me or break my heart more than to see a music or other fine arts program being cut from a schools budget. it seems that despite the surmounting evidence stating the arts positive effects on kids, school boards still see them as unimportant . so i was applying for scholarships today for bethel, and the "healthy respect, your voice counts" scholarship came up in my fastweb inbox. so i clicked, and then i got really excited. not only are they offering a $1000 scholarship, but they are doing something that will impact kids for generations. the POP (performing arts outreach project) is a summer camp idea for at risk and underserved kids. the camp has already started, but needs to expand. they are competing for pepsi's "refresh everything" $250,000 grant. scholarship eligibilty is based on an applicant's essay submission and how many times each applicant votes for the project on pepsi's website. pepsi only allows you to vote once a day per project untill voting closes. applicants must fill out the form on the scholarship website and vote for the project at least once. essay instructions will be e-mailed to each applicant after pepsi closes voting on POP on june 30th. the essay is 350-500 words on either a.) how performing arts has changed your life OR b.) how you think it could change the lives of at risk kids. i want to win the scholarship, but i want POP to win the pepsi grant more. i'm writing to let you know and to ask you to please vote! for more information on the scholarship, go to http://healthrespect.org/HRPop/ this form takes literally 2 minutes to fill out. the scholarship is available for students no matter their major. for more information on POP go to their "refresh everything" link http://www.refresheverything.com/performingartsoutreachcamp by the way, i was approved for 2 state grants yesterday for school! :) VOTE AND KEEP MUSIC IN OUR KIDS LIVES! "when there's music in your life, there is happiness."-celine dion