NOTICES
Farm Loans Available for Women and Minorities
PORTLAND, Ore. - The USDA’s
Farm Service Agency (FSA) offers
farm loans to help qualified women and
minorities buy and operate family-sized
farms and ranches.
FSA reserves a portion of its loan and
loan guarantee funds each year to as
sist socially disadvantaged applicants.
“Both targeted and non-targeted
loan funds can be used to
help members of socially
disadvantaged groups buy
and operated farms,” said
Larry Frey, FSA's Oregon
state executive director.
Frey said that socially disadvan
taged groups are those whose members
have been subjected to racial, ethnic,
or gender prejudice because of their
identity as members of the group with
regard to their individual qualities for
the purposes of FSA’s loan programs.
Socially disadvantaged groups are
women, American Indians, Alaskan
Natives, African Americans, Hispanics,
and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders.
“There are growing concerns over the
future of agriculture,” Frey said. “Having
access to available targeted and non
targeted funds will help assure that women
and minorities have an opportunity to
own and operate farms and ranches.”
FSA's loan and loan guarantee
funds are available to individuals and
entities that are primarily and directly
engaged in farming and ranching on
family-sized operations. To qualify, the
applicant must have participated in the
business operations of a farm or ranch
for at least three years.
For those applicants who have at
least one year’s experience in manag
Knowledge River Recruiting for
Fall 2006 Class
ing or operating a farm or ranch, oper
ating loan funds are available to help
purchase livestock, machinery, and
equipment, as well as annual produc
tion expenses.
During fiscal year 2005, FSA made
55 loans and loan guarantees to women
and minorities in Oregon, totaling
nearly $4 million. So far during fiscal
year 2006, 16 loans and
loan guarantees have been
made to women and mi
norities in Oregon, totaling
nearly $200,000.
People who would like to learn
more about FSA programs that assist
women and minorities should contact
their nearest USDA service center. These
are listed in telephone directories un
der “United States Government, De
partment of Agriculture.”
Further information also is avail
able on the Oregon state FSA Web site
at www.fsa.usda.gov.or/.
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I
Western Oregon University
|
I
Multicultural Student I
Union’s 13th Annual
Pow-Wow
Feb. 4, 2006
Noon - Midnight
New Physical Education
Building - Gym
MC: David West
Whipman: Donald Moccasin
Host Drum: TBA
Flag Bearers: NIVA Grand
Ronde Honor Guard
Noon: Grand Entry
5 p.m. - 7 p.m.: Dinner Break
7 p.m.: Grand Entry
1 All dancers and drummers welcome! 1
I For vendor registration or more info. 1
contact MSU at 503-838-8403 or
503-838-8195 or e-mail
msu@wou.edu
v_________________________________ >
QEM Offers Internships for
Science Students
go through the program with a large
peer group.
Now starting our fifth year, we will
admit 15 new students to Knowledge
River for fall 2006. All eligibility require
ments and application procedures can
be found on our Web site - http://
knowledgerivcr.arizona.edu.
Students wishing to be considered for
Knowledge River must be accepted into
the SIRLS graduate program. All appli
cation materials are online at the SIRLS
Web site.
To contact SIRLS for information or
questions, call 520-621-3565 or visit
www.sir.arizona.edu.
Please contact us directly for addi
tional information or any questions you
might have concerning Knowledge River
at 520-621-3958 or e-mail kriver@sbs.
mail.arizona.edu.
The Quality Education for Minorities
(QEM) Network, a Washington, D.C.-
based non-profit organization dedicated
to improving the education of minorities
nationwide, is offering 10-week summer
internships for students from tribal
colleges and universities that run from
May 29 to Aug. 4, 2006.
The QEM Network Internship Pro
gram is designed to enhance students'
ability to apply their knowledge to the
internship assignment, increase their
These internships provide under
graduate and graduate students the oppor
tunity to interact with program officers
at the National Science Foundation (NSF)
who are involved in making science
policy; to participate in, and further
develop their skills through, mathemat
ics, science, or engineering ( MSE)-related
research; and to further develop their
potential for becoming leaders and pro
ponents of increased MSE participation
by students from minority and low-
income families.
IHS Scholarship Applications Available
understanding of the educational and
health needs of minorities, and instill a
sense of responsibility to help others in
their communities.
The Tribal Colleges and Universities
Program (TCUP) provides five intern
ships for students enrolled al TCUP in
stitutions to give them the opportunity to
become familiar with science education
policies and how they affect the educa
tion of American Indians; learn about
health disparities disproportionately af
fecting American Indians; and design a
science, technology, engineering, or
mathematics (STEM)-focused commu
nity outreach program that will engage
K-12 students in their respective commu
nities in hands-on science and mathemat
ics activities.
The application deadline for these
internships is March 20, 2006.
For science policy-oriented intern
ships. applicants must be majoring in the
physical or life sciences, mathematics,
engineering, or technology at an accred
ited U.S. institution.
Up to five science internship oppor
tunities will be available to students at
tribal colleges and universities who meet
the eligibility criteria.
In addition to a $3,000 stipend, in
terns will be provided round-trip travel,
housing on the campus of George Wash
ington University, and support for local
ground transportation.
Applications can be downloaded at
http://qemnetwork.qem.org/
I n tern sh i pTri ba IA pp2006. pd f.
Mail applications and direct inquiries
toQEM Network. Internship Program. 1818
N St. NW. Suite 350, Washington. IX' 20036;
202-659-1818; Fax: 202-659-5408;
e-mail: qemnetwork@qem.org.
The University of Arizona School of
Information Resources and Library Sci
ence (SIRLS) is pleased to announce it is
now recruiting students for Knowledge
River - a master’s degree program leading
to an exciting career as an information
professional, focusing on the information
and library needs and perspectives of
Hispanics and American Indians.
Students accepted into Knowledge
River will receive full tuition and a gen
erous graduate assistantship or stipend for
one academic year, in addition to other
special program features.
A bachelor’s degree in any field is ac
ceptable. The application deadline is
April 1, 2006.
Knowledge River has an innovative
program design, with culturally relevant
courses, professional development,
academic support, and the chance to
The Portland Area Indian Health Ser
vice (IHS) has scholarship applications
available. To request an application,
please forward your name and address to
the following:
Indian Health Service - Portland Area
Office
Attn: Athena Bezahaloni, IHS Scholar
ship Coordinator
1220 SW Third Ave., Suite 400
Portland. OR 97204
503-326-7428
Fax: 503-326-5787
E-mail: abezahal@pao.portland.ihs.gov
IHS scholarship applications
are due in the Portland Area Office by
F eb. 28, 2066.
Interested students are encouraged to
visit www.ihs.gov/JobsCareerDevelop/
DHPS/Scholarships/Scholarship_index.asp
for information on this scholarship pro
gram. Forms can be downloaded from this
Web site that will provide students with
an idea of what they will be required to
submit with their application.
Previously, students were required to
submit their BIA Form 4432; the schol
arship committee would not consider stu
dents who submitted their tribal cards.
Depending on the submission require
ments for 2006/07, students are strongly
advised to obtain their BIA Form 4432
now in order to be prepared.
Students can obtain this form on the
Internet. For filing instructions regarding
BIA Form 4432, please contact your res
ervation BIA agency.
February 2006
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Siletz News
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