I am proud to introduce our newest initiative: The Angels Wings Rural Teaching Scholarship, a program that aims to offer vital opportunities for deserving students and create educational mentors who are committed to serving in rural areas.

This year, we will award a dozen teaching scholarships to some of Thailand’s brightest minds and most committed young citizens; within five years, we will have awarded 60 scholarships. The budget for our TK is 30,000,000 baht or over $1 million U.S. dollars, to be distributed over a 12-year period. Because our efforts focus on education, every penny we spend will have a snowball effect, touching the lives of future generations.

Our pilot project launches in Phuket, a region that was so recently devastated by the Tsunami. In seeking to ameliorate the suffering of that tragic day, I have partnered with Somjai Suwansupana, Mayor of Phuket, to aid with the selection process. Suswansupana will work closely with local high schools and universities to identify and recruit those students who wish to earn a BA in teaching. Our project goes to great lengths to identify and nurture the most qualified candidates, and to make sure that they are dedicated to the idea of educating children in their home municipalities.

In order to apply, students must fill out an application, pass an aptitude test, have a minimum GPA of 3.0, and undergo an interview by the recruitment committee. The finalists will be invited to the Angels Wings Foundation to receive their scholarship awards.

It is a goal of the Angels Wings Foundation that the benefits of this unique scholarship program will touch as many young people as possible. For that reason, each year the project will institute the selection process in a different province, ensuring that the benefits of excellent teaching will spread throughout southern Thailand, transforming the region and inspiring a new generation of learners.