Found Word Scholarship 2021

On January 28, 2013 something happened which would come to mean so much more than I ever would have guessed based on its humble beginnings. Quite simply, a math professor with whom I’d not had much contact in general, used a word in a sentence. When I heard the word, the language lover in me mentally said “Ooo…” and I was reminded of how acutely I love words. I posted it casually on Facebook: “...'dossier' is a cool word...” That was the first day. Since that day, I have listened to friends and colleagues, family and students, strangers and entertainment to find words that, for some reason, stood out. Thus, the Found Word Calendar was born.

It didn’t take long for it to become a thing. People celebrated when a word they used was chosen; they competed to have their words make the cut. And they STILL ARE. From all of this love of words, a scholarship was born and for years we've been able to help a student achieve their dreams. I draw donors from England, Canada, and the United States - from California to Massachusetts to Texas and all corners of New York State. I could not be more in love with this project and every year I am flabbergasted at what we are able to accomplish.

And so, I now present to you the NINTH Found Word calendar – a weekly calendar containing all 365 Found Words from 2021. Once Go Fund Me takes their cut, all proceeds go directly to the FLCC Foundation, which is a 501 (c) (3) charitable corporation. The $2,000 Found Word Scholarship is given to a returning student in need who shows a love of language and the art of communication.

Thank you – thank you for keeping words alive, for pulling your language usage from the dusty corners of forgotten realms, for supporting a love of lexicons, a delight in dictionaries, and an excitement for etymology.

$5 - A PDF copy of the calendar

$10 - A hard copy of the calendar

$25 - A signed copy of the calendar

$50 - A signed copy of the calendar and a personal thank you note

$100 - A signed copy of the calendar, a personal thank you note, and a laminated bookmark with this year's unique poem penned by me

$500 - All of the above plus something special that will be determined by myself and the winner