Mortar Board's national project, "Reading is Leading"

Since 2002, Mortar Board members have unified to promote literacy as a part of the national "Reading is Leading" initiative.

Chosen from numerous prospective national initiatives by collegiate Mortar Board members, this project is incredibly versatile. Members can work with people of any age, such as children and non-native English-speakers to learn English as a second language (ESL).

"Reading is Leading" is very rewarding, giving Mortar Board volunteers the ability to build fulfilling relationships with their reading partners. This project is adopted nationally, but is executed on various levels by members, chapters and regional sections. For example, some members will tutor students on their own time or even click-to-give on sites like The Literacy Site. Some chapters hold read-a-thons, book drives, literacy workshops, donate books and more to promote literacy. Mortar Board sections can join together for statewide literacy initiatives.

You can learn more about "Reading is Leading" here.

Support "Reading is Leading" by participating in the Virtual Book Drive

For the second year, Mortar Board has launched the Virtual Book Drive held in conjunction with First Book. With the Virtual Book Drive, chapters, alumni and supporters can unite nationally while working toward a common goal consistent with the "Reading is Leading" initiative - to give children across the country access to books. 

This virtual drive is easily accessible, allowing anyone to donate funds online. Many chapters hold fundraisers or campuswide events, while others simply share the donation link as a way to widely promote literacy. A donation of just $2 can provide a child with their first book, and contribute to the national goal of raising $30,000.

Donations will allow a worthy program selected by each individual chapter to purchase books online in the First Book Marketplace. Even if your chapter is not planning a large event, share the link (www.firstbook.org/mortarboard) with your friends and family to ensure that children across the nation are given the opportunity to read.

Save money on textbooks online with a special back-to-school offer from Barnes & Noble

Barnes&Noble.com has partnered with Mortar Board to offer a special back to school discount for all members from August 11 to September 1 when purchasing textbooks online at www.bn.com/benefit.

• Receive 10 percent off the online price of all new textbooks and free standard domestic shipping
• Save up to 90 percent off on used textbooks. Just shop through www.bn.com/benefit and start saving today!!

Discount is available online only at www.bn.com/benefit and is not available in retail stores.  Discounts, coupons and free shipping do not apply to used textbooks.

The importance of Mortar Board's corporate partnerships

In exchange for a national presence among our members, corporate partnerships allow Mortar Board to build stronger chapters in a variety of ways. In trying economic times, the necessary financial support from these partners provides outstanding benefits to our members. Specifically, the generous support:

• Helps to award fellowships to members pursuing postgraduate degrees
• Assists with funding to keep the annual conference affordable for chapters
• Provides enhanced services to members through discounted programs and services
• Helps to raise the national profile of the society, by allowing partners to share their commitment to Mortar Board with their peers, customers and investors

The Mortar Board National Foundation carefully selects corporate partners that are committed to the ideals of the society and offer a lasting, quality product for Mortar Board members.

The Mortar Board National Foundation would like to thank our partners who have provided important fellowships that exclusively benefit Mortar Board members. Without these important partners, Mortar Board would not be able to provide benefits and services, such as postgraduate fellowships, to its members.

Mortar Board provides great benefits to its members

Mortar Board makes every effort to provide beneficial opportunities and services to members.  Some of these benefits include:

Benefits and services

• Academic recognition
• Alumni networking
• Thousands of dollars in fellowships available only to members
• Subscription to Mortar Board newsletters and the Mortar Board Forum magazine
• Access to the Mortar Board scholarship search engine with access to scholarship awards worth more than $3 billion
• Career and graduate school networking and assistance
• Use of a Mortar Board job board
• Federal government employment entrance at the GS-7 ranking for members, which can mean an instant pay increase for certain jobs

Opportunities

• The chance to apply for RealAcad, a top-level venture management program that has agreed to provide access for all Mortar Board members to an international network of top professionals across the world.  
• Washington, D.C. internship and scholarship opportunities through The Fund for American Studies, Washington Internship Institute and The Washington Center for Internships & Academic Seminars
• The opportunity to apply for the NIH-Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program, a fully-funded Ph.D. program in biomedical research
• A complimentary VIP pass to The QS World MBA Tour and The QS World Grad School Tour.
• Training and leadership opportunities, including an invitation to the annual national conference of Mortar Board

Discounts and special offers

• GEICO auto insurance specials
• Earn perks with the Mortar Board Foundation Fund Platinum Plus® MasterCard® Credit Card with WorldPoints® Rewards
• Affordable student health insurance from UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
• *Save up to 90 percent on used textbooks or 10 percent on new textbooks with a special back-to-school offer from Barnes & Noble
• Kaplan test preparation discounts (15 percent off all GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, SAT, ACT, PSAT classroom and online courses for members and their families)
• Access to the GEICO Privileges program, where your membership allows you to receive discounts at dozens of brand-name retailers, as well as money-saving tips

GEICO	Bank of America
Student Health Insurance	Merchant Discount Program
Kaplan Test Preparation	Barnes&Noble.com

Interested in attending graduate school or getting an MBA?

QS is the world’s leading network for top careers and education. As a top scholar of Mortar Board, QS is delighted to offer you a complimentary VIP pass to The QS World MBA Tour and The QS World Grad School Tour. A myriad of benefits exist including the opportunity to win over $1.6 million of exclusive scholarships offered by Chicago GSB, Wharton and many others, free test prep classes and admissions seminars.

The QS World MBA Tour and World Grad School Tour offer prospective students the opportunity to meet admissions officers from top tier universities world wide at a multitude of venues across the globe.

What are you waiting for? Begin now and explore your future.

Learn more at www.topmba.com.

Network with Mortar Board

Find your job with the help of Mortar Board

In conjunction with JobTarget, Mortar Board has launched the Mortar Board Career Center, a search engine for all members, both collegiate and alumni.  Mortar Board members are able to search for a variety of jobs, both nationally and locally. National employers will have the ability to post positions and exclusively recruit Mortar Board members.  Anonymous résumés can be posted and easily searched and seen by potential employers.

Start searching today. 

Need a scholarship?  Search now.

Mortar Board’s specialized scholarship search engine, hosted by Scholarship Monkey, gives members access to more than a million scholarships with more than $3 billion in awards. 

Browse the search engine now.

Don’t go without student health insurance

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