Dana MacDonald Scholarship

The History
Dana MacDonald is a former Kindermusik educator who lives in Canada.  Our correspondence began in November of 2009 when she posted some of her instruments for sale in a Kindermusik Educator's Forum.  Our sporadic emails continued every three to four months (as we are both busy mothers of four children) for the next two years.


Apparently, we both learned the lesson of delayed gratification, as well.  Neither of us was in dire need for this business transaction to take place, but in the meantime we learned about each other's families and professional lives.  In the end the transaction took place.


The Stuff
I intended to purchase a few things to fill in some gaps in my inventory. The five enormous boxes I received from Canada obviously contained much more than that.  Dana had decided that for the price that we had agreed upon she would be sending me her entire inventory. She wrote in an email,  "I just want the instruments used for the enjoyment of kids rather than sitting in boxes here."  There couldn't be a more genuine reason for such generosity on the planet. 


The Idea
I would never be able to reimburse Dana for the value of these supplies, but I could in some way return her generosity.  Not to her, but through her. Dana is a mother of four; she understands that love is multiplied not divided, her generosity would be paid forward, not paid back.


The Scholarship
Each semester a child who may not otherwise be able to come to Kindermusik, will be offered a free semester.  This child will be chosen with input from area agencies, teachers, early interventionists and medical professionals and you.  


Pay it Forward
Money is not what makes this project go round.  I was not able to financially remunerate Dana for her generosity.  This scholarship recipients will not be financially responsible for anything either, but there will be responsibilities:

• The family of the scholarship recipient will be required to complete a Thank You card to Dana McDonald
• Throughout the course of the semester the family must do something to Pay It Forward.  Some small kindness that will ease the burden of another person, group or organization. 
• Ann will help you to share this with Dana, either in photos, video or written correspondence, so that she will have an idea of how her act of kindness has grown.

Privacy

Scholarship recipients are not made public.  Only Ann, Dana and the Scholarship family is made aware of the Scholarship award.  If the Scholarship Family chooses to share that information with anyone that is their prerogative.