St. Charles chapter of International Sisterhood of P.E.O. awards grant

The International Sisterhood of P.E.O. recently awarded Rebekah Roberts a Program for continuing education grant to aid her in obtaining a master's degree in Business Intelligence and Data Analysis from St. Mary's University in Minnesota.

Roberts previously earned a Bachelor's Degree in Middle School Math, Science, and Language Arts.

Chapter MW of St. Charles initiated the contact with Roberts and supported her through the application process with P.E.O. International.

The Philanthropic Educational Organization was founded on Jan. 21, 1869, by seven students at Iowa Wesleyan College in Mount Pleasant, Iowa. This circle of kindred spirits - bonded by their enthusiasm for women's opportunities - eventually expanded to include women off campus as well.

Today, P.E.O. has grown from that tiny membership of seven to more than a quarter of a million members in chapters throughout the U.S. and Canada. There are several P.E.O. chapters in the Fox Valley area.

True to the mission of promoting educational opportunities for women, education continues to be the primary philanthropy of the P.E.O. The organization makes a difference in women's lives with six philanthropies that include ownership of a women's college, Cottey College, and five programs that provide higher educational assistance through scholarships, grants, and loans. To date, the P.E.O. Sisterhood has helped more than 122,000 women pursue educational goals by providing nearly 415 million dollars in educational assistance.

Grant, loan, and award recipients - as well as Cottey College students - need not be members of P.E.O. With the exception of international students who receive International Peace Scholarships, each recipient is sponsored by a P.E.O. chapter. This allows the chapter members to be a meaningful part of "their" student's life.

For details, visit www.peointernational.org.