Deep Roots is able to give scholarships to High School students in Guatemala, Namibia and Zambia. We hope to offer funding in Nepal for students to attend grades 11 and 12 in the future. In Nepal, these two grades are comparable to junior college and they often require students to commute long distances or pay boarding fees.

GUATEMALA

• As with Middle/Basic school, high school students are covered under the Future Leaders of the 21st Century Scholarship program.
• Guatemalan Diversificado or High School covers the 10th, 11h, and 12th Grades. Occasionally there is a fourth year required as well. A distinctive note regarding Guatemalan high schools is that they are usually vocational schools. The majority of our students are studying to be bilingual Q'eqchi'-Spanish teachers, but other options include agriculture, accounting, administration, and many others.
• Selection process for High School is the same as middle/basic school
• Again, as with Middle/Basic school, High School students are required to attend a monthly meeting on the first Sunday of each month in order to receive their monthly tuition fee and attend a one to two hour long workshop on various topics that SANK (Deep Roots' in-country partner) believes will benefit their educational development and enhance their role as a community leader. Past and present topics have addressed, among other issues: self-esteem, study techniques, environmental and cultural conservation, gender, the importance of team work, and human rights.
• There is a 3-strikes-you-are-out policy regarding attendance to workshop meetings.
• Students are required to submit their grades and they must finish the year with an average above 80% (as teachers can be miserly with grades, a mark of 80% is very good). Should they fail to reach this average or turn in their grades at the end of the academic year, their scholarship will be denied for the coming year. If this happens, students can re-apply for a Deep Roots scholarship the following year.

NAMIBIA

• High school is divided into "junior secondary school" (grades 8 through 10) and "senior secondary school" (grades 11 and 12).
• The scholarships students receive help to pay for school, hostel and exam fees. Participants in the Girls' Scholarship Program (our college-prep program) additionally receive mentoring, tutoring, and assistance with other expenses, such as books and supplies.
• Applicants submit a completed application which includes:
  • two recommendations
  • grade report for previous year
  • one essay about why they cannot afford their school fees
  • one essay about what they want to do with their education.
• Selection is based on need and academic performance and in-country volunteer recommendations. We rely on volunteers to vouch for the character of the learners since Deep Roots is not able to do a personal interview.
• Once the applicant is accepted as a Deep Roots scholar, he or she will be funded through the remainder of her/his schooling (up to grade 12). All students must achieve a "D" symbol overall to qualify for the scholarship each year. In order to qualify for the Girls' Scholarship Program, students must achieve a "B" average.
• Scholars must submit a renewal form annually which includes:
  • a most recent grade report
  • an essay about how Deep Roots has affected his or her life
  • a photo if possible.

ZAMBIA

• As with the Deep Roots Zambia Basic school program, a High School sponsor can have direct and constant contact with a scholarship student for as long as she sponsors the student.
• In Zambia, High School, more commonly called Secondary School, covers 10th through 12th grades.
• Fees for Secondary School sponsorships are $370 and cover school and exam fees, room and board, school supplies and books, uniforms, blankets, transport costs, stipends for hygiene needs, personal assistance with education-related problems, and correspondence with the sponsor.
• School reports are actively collected by DAPP (Deep Roots Zambia's in-country partner.)
• Sponsor-child communication is maintained with exchange of letters, school reports, photos, and drawings
• Secondary Schools are boarding schools outside the village that generally provide a much higher standard of education than the local basic school
• These schools also provide a more focused academic environment in which students are called to specialize in the subjects that interest them the most.