Connecting the Dots wants you to know about The Grand Challenge. The Grand Challenge was founded in 2012 by Jennie Joseph, the late Claudia Booker and Vicki Penwell.  The goal of the program "is to connect Birth Workers who desire to work in maternity care fields in America with programs of education and individuals that can offer help."  They are "matching scholars to scholarships to reduce birth disparities."

The Grand Challenge serves both Black and non-Black people of color who will benefit from funding to become perinatal professionals or continue their perinatal careeers and organizations (owned and run by Black and non-Black professionals) who are interested in offering scholarships for people for people to receive training.

The ask is simple and I invite you to do this now!  

1. If you are affiliated with a training organization for midwifery, doulas, childbirth educators, lactation consultants or other birth/perinatal related professions, please go and add your organization to the list of those who offer scholarships to people in need.  If you are already listed, please confirm that your information is up to date.

2. Please make sure that your own training website clearly states the scholarships and funding that you offer to Black and non-Black people of color.  Make sure your instructions and procedures are straightforward and direct, to remove any difficulties that may be present for people to apply.

3. Include a  link back to The Grand Challenge so that people searching for scholarships can also find out more information and locate other programs that participate.

Research has shown time and time again that communities of color are best served by professionals of color and it is our job as allies and anti-racists to help increase the number of Black perinatal professionals so that maternal and infant mortality and morbidity rates are reduced.  Your participation (by following these three easy steps) can help.  Please do not hesitate.  Black lives depend on it.

Published: June 11, 2020

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