Each year, in partnership with the Margaret Sanders Foundation, AISA is pleased to offer the opportunity for schools from within the AISA network to nominate outstanding students for Margaret Sanders International Scholarship and Margaret Sanders AISA Scholarship for Girls.

Born in 1910, Margaret Sanders was a pioneer for her time, holding roles as varied as advertising designer, writer, air traffic controller, photographer and international yearbook representative. Her career with Walsworth Publishing Company began in 1961 and during the subsequent four decades, she travelled the world assisting schools with the publication of their yearbooks. This exciting career afforded her the opportunity to develop a close identification with overseas “American/ International” schools and their diverse and interesting populations.

Margaret passed away in June 2009, leaving a legacy of giving through her scholarship fund in perpetuity.

Past scholarship winners have come from international schools in Abu Dhabi, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Colombia, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sultanate of Oman, United Kingdom, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, and Zimbabwe.

Each year AISA offers full member school two separate scholarship opportunities:

The AISA Board established in January 2023 that the award shall be named and funded in memory of Connie Buford, a distinguished international education leader who served as AISA’s Executive Director from 1988 to 1997.  Her love of Africa, her enthusiasm for building community, lifting and helping others, and her passion for student service learning live on in this award.

You too, can DONATE to support AISA’s Service Awards.

This award is for a student service leader who can demonstrate a commitment to his/her/their community and to using critical thinking, empathy and principles of sustainable development to engage with a community-based issue or need.

The student(s) must be able to demonstrate:

• personal attributes of a changemaker (which could include a deep awareness of global issues and the Sustainable Development Goals, active listening, mature awareness of self and others, and a commitment to purposeful and critical action over time)
• an understanding of community assets and needs
• an understanding of reciprocal community partnerships and action
• an understanding of the principles of sustainable development
• integration into the school’s service learning program or initiatives, and connection to a curricular area of study
• the ability to take action sustainably and reciprocally, either face-to-face or online, to create impact and positive, purposeful change
• a detailed rationale or plan of how prize money from this award would be used to extend sustainable action and change with this partnership/experience*
• personal reflection of what they have learned from a community partner and how they have grown through community engagement/service

Prizes

A US$ 1,500 award will be granted to a school to recognise a student or a group of students who demonstrate their service and commitment to the community. The school will allocate this funding to support the awarded project. The student will receive a plaque and letter from AISA to recognise their outstanding achievements.

Nomination Guidelines

Each AISA Full Member school is invited to nominate a student/group of students each year to be considered for this award.

• Only one application per school per award, please select the best
• A formal communication and plaque of recognition will be sent to the winners’ school heads and counsellors. The public announcement and award presentation will then take place at the AISA Global Issues Service Summit (AISA-GISS), a student-led learning event.

Key Nomination Dates: 

• Opening Date: 01 August
• Close Date: 31 October
• Announcement: February (at AISA-GISS)