Jay Zimmerman Mentorship Scholarship Program 2025 

Dear ACCTA Training Directors and Coordinators:

We are writing to announce the ACCTA Jay Zimmerman Diversity Mentorship Scholarship Program for 2025.  ACCTA is committed to increasing knowledge about diversity within our organization, as well as increasing the inclusion and representation of underrepresented groups in the ACCTA membership.  The Diversity Mentorship Scholarship Program is one way to operationalize our commitment to diversity.  This program seeks two individuals who represent diversity and are (a) interested in becoming training directors or coordinators, and/or (b) who have a strong commitment to training and are actively involved in a current training program. We do accept applications from eligible staff at counseling centers who are not members of ACCTA. We need your assistance in identifying individuals you believe would benefit from this opportunity.

The program offers the selected Diversity Scholarship recipients an opportunity to attend and participate in ACCTA’s 2025 annual conference.  The theme for this year’s conference is Surfing the Tides and Staying Grounded:  Values-driven Responses to Change and Transition.  The conference is one of the few professional development opportunities for psychologists who are training directors/coordinators to develop skills, increase knowledge about internship training issues, and network with others in similar positions. The two scholarships that are awarded will cover registration, economy class travel, and lodging and meal expenses for the conference. As part of the program, it is expected that each of the Diversity Scholarship recipients will provide a conference presentation for Continuing Education (CE) credits on the topic of diversity and/or excellence in training.

The 2025 ACCTA conference will be held in Chicago, Illinois from Saturday, September 13 to Tuesday, September 16. The nominator will be recognized publicly and is expected to mentor the awardee through the process. Should the nominator be unable to serve in this capacity, an ACCTA member will be designated.

ELIGIBILITY:

1)     A minimum of two years (24 months) of post-doctoral counseling center experience by the application deadline on Friday, June 13, 2025 is required. Please note that the Committee adheres strictly to the deadline and hence, it is not possible to make exceptions for individuals.

2)     Any individual who has not previously held a position as a counseling center Training Director / Training Coordinator of a psychology internship program, but who is interested in possibly doing so in the future and/or who has a strong commitment to training and is actively involved in a training program.

3)     An individual who represents diversity in one or more of the following ways:

• Race

• Ethnicity/Nationality

• LGBTQ+ Identities

• Disability

• Religion

APPLICATION MATERIALS:

Application and applicant materials must be submitted and uploaded electronically

https://asaccta.memberclicks.net/accta-scholarship-application-form#/

Eligible candidates should

1.     Complete the Information Sections

• Applicant

• Counseling Center Director

• Counseling Center Training Director/Coordinator

2.     Answer the following by typing or copying text into the boxes

a.     Please describe how the ACCTA scholarship would enhance your career objectives.

b.     Describe your past and current interests, contributions, and professional development in terms of the following:

                                          i.      Training (e.g., experience providing individual or group supervision, training seminars, peer counselor or paraprofessional training, practicum supervision, or any seminars or workshops taken or given on training issues).

                                         ii.     Please describe how you meet the eligibility criteria of diversity representation

                                      iii.    Commitment to diversity issues (e.g., multicultural training, diversity awareness, research, or work with underrepresented groups).

                                     iv.    Describe leadership activities or contributions to psychological organizations.

3.     Your proposed topic for the conference presentation

4.     Upload Supporting Documents (must be in MSWord format)

a.     Your vita

b.     Nominating letter from Training Director / Training Coordinator

                                          i.      In addition, the nominating Training Director/ Training Coordinator should copy this letter to the Director of the center where the candidate is on staff. The purpose of this step is to inform the candidate’s Director of the nomination for both positive recognition and notification that the candidate would be required to travel to the 2025 ACCTA conference if awarded the scholarship.

c.     Any other supporting documents

SELECTION CRITERIA & SELECTION PROCESS:

Candidates will be reviewed and selected based upon contributions to training, answers to the application questions, relevance of proposed presentation topic to conference theme, and readiness to use the Diversity Scholarship opportunity to enhance their work with trainees in a training program. The selection committee will review all application materials submitted by eligible candidates. The selection committee is comprised of individuals from the following areas: Executive Committee of the ACCTA Board of Directors, the Diversity Committee Liaison to the Board of Directors, the Co-Chairs of the Standing Committee on Diversity and the Co-Chairs of the Diversity Mentorship Scholarship Program.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

All application materials must be received by 11:59 p.m., EST., Friday, June 13, 2025.