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Elizabeth Morrish Memorial Student Scholarship Fund

Through the Elizabeth Morrish Memorial Student Scholarship Fund, WE LEARN reserves designated funds to offer scholarships and stipends to adult learners for their participation in WE LEARN activities — writing stipends, travel-related expenses for meetings, student participation on the board of directors, leadership projects, and other student-focused activities. This fund was created to honor the memory of Elizabeth Morrish and to commemorate her work and commitment to adult learners, WE LEARN has established the

At this time, we are specifically seeking contributions for student participation in the Women's Perspectives: Health & Wellness Initiative.

The fund will continue as an on-going support for student participation in all aspects of WE LEARN activities.

To make a tax deductible donations to the Elizabeth Morrish Memorial Student Scholarship Fund, please send a check or money order payable to:

WE LEARN
c/o Mev Miller, Director
182 Riverside Ave.
Cranston, RI 02910

Please note "EM Fund" on the memo line.

WE LEARN is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization and all sponsorships and donations are tax deductible.

Thank you.

The Elizabeth Morrish Mad Money Fund Award Winners (2004)

 

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Elizabeth Morrish was an adult educator committed to working with learners on women's health issues and the issues of violence affecting women. She died of lung cancer in December 2003.

Some of Elizabeth's writings can be found on the Internet:

The Change Agent - focus on Health & Literacy - selected articles (Issue 4, Feb. 1997)

HEAL: BCC Curriculum / Health Education and Adult Literacy: Breast & Cervical Cancer (as consultant)

How Participatory Learning Empowers Students (Bright Ideas, Fall, 1995)

Ideas in Action

Orientation to Integrating Health Education into Adult Basic Education (1999)

Reflections on the Women, Violence, and Adult Education Project (Focus on Basics, February, 2002)

Take on the Challenge: A Source Book from the Women, Violence, and Adult Education Project (pdf version 2002)

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Elizabeth Morrish introduced her work to the Health Listserve of the National Institute for Literacy on September 20, 1996. We have included some of her words below. You can view the complete archived posting at: http://www.nifl.gov/nifl-health/1996/0074.html

I want to introduce myself and the Massachusetts Health Team.

First myself.
Some of you know me by name, others in person. Sabrina [Kurtz-Rossi] and I work in partnership at World Education on what we call the Health and Literacy Initiative. I'm Literacy, Sabrina is Health! Of course we also overlap (isn't that what this is all about?).

I come from a background of working in non-profit community agencies -- as an ESOL teacher and working with pregnant and parenting teenagers. The nature of the work MADE health an issue. Post-traumatic stress for many of the SE Asian refugees I worked with, and issues of poverty and violence with the young women. In health I am trained as a Hospice volunteer. I was involved with a small group of people in the founding stages of the AIDS Action Committee (AAC) in Boston and have cared for friends dying of AIDS in their homes. I have been at World Ed. for over a year working with adult education programs to incorporate "participatory" health education into the classroom and beyond to action in the community. There is more I want to say about these projects (the learner/teacher partnerships have done some great work) but another time.

Now the Health Team.
In 1992 the Massachusetts Health Team was begun as a place for adult literacy practitioners and health educators to come together. In monthly meetings people share perspectives, exchange ideas, support one another's efforts, connect to resources, encourage a participatory approach to health education, and share specific materials, methods and techniques. .... I feel honored to be part of the work in Massachusetts where health and literacy are connecting in the field (I see mostly adult education classes but more and more links are being made to health providers). People are doing the collaborative work and now we need better recognition (from ourselves and outside), documentation and funding.

I look forward to the exchange of ideas and energy in this new (to me) way that can reach across the world. WOW!

-- Elizabeth Morrish