Support equitable education through Being Tea Scholarships
Our scholarships help fund tea education here in the Being Tea program for tea friends from marginalized communities – both from the tea industry trade and not. Meaning, we serve professionals and tea lovers alike!
We center our efforts on BIPOC+ and LGBTQ+ folks, both in the United States (where I am based) and internationally, as well.
Here’s how it works and how you can help.
Are you looking to apply for a scholarship with Being Tea?
Reach out to me here for info.
Being Tea offers scholarships for these programs:
1) Personal study through the Being Tea membership program
2) Tuition for Being Tea’s 8-month professional Teacher Training program
3) Guided, communal tea tasting in our Tasting Box Club program
Our funding needs for these programs:
Gift contributions in any amount are welcome, and every one adds up! Here’s how gifts made toward Being Tea scholarships support our various education programs:
– $120 USD = One year of Being Tea membership. (educational videos + live classes, at the Reduced tier)
– $295 USD = One year of guided tea tasting in our Tasting Box Club program
– $500 USD = Partial tuition for Teacher Training
– $1188 USD = Full ride tuition for Teacher Training, at Reduced tier
Look at the difference your contributions have made!
For 2023, so far, we have been able to gift one year Being Tea membership scholarships to five recipients.
In 2022, we were able to gift one year Being Tea membership scholarships to five recipients.
In 2021, we gifted one year memberships to five recipients, as well as one partial Teacher Training scholarship.
In 2020, we supported two partial Teacher Training scholarships.
International scholarship recipients have included tea students in Colombia, Iran, Ecuador and Pakistan.
Support Being Tea Scholarships today!
You can support access to inclusive, holistic quality tea education today, through a one-time gift here:
Monthly support options are also available, starting at $10 / month. Contact me at hello@beingtea.com if you would like to participate as a monthly supporter!
Why scholarships have such a powerful impact
Since founding Being Tea, I’ve structured everything I offer to be as financially accessible as possible.
This includes sliding scale options for my education membership program, to affordable options for small business support, and sliding scale tuition for our teacher training program.
However, for any space concerned about inclusivity to go deeper, a paradigm shift is needed, beyond friendly pricing. For recognizing that more needs to be done to support those with limited financial means and mobility – and naming why. Specifically, this means racially marginalized folks – most notably Black people – and others who face daily oppression, such as queer folks. Oppression leads to a lack of access to technical trade education, professional certifications, and guided mentorship. (it also creates a lack of safety in those spaces.)
One antidote to this is creating intentional space to give freely, uplift, and invest in a more equitable future. Scholarships are a potent way to break down barriers, restoring equity in who gets the privilege of access to education and support.
Who can apply for Being Tea scholarships?
Scholarships are awarded to eligible applicants based on spaces available and how well the program fits the applicant’s stated learning needs and interests. You do not need to be a working tea professional to qualify. You also do not need specialized equipment to join Being Tea – just reliable access to internet. The eligible groups are as follows:
Group 1) Our scholarship program primarily serves BIPOC+ (Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color), and LGBTQ+ folks inside the United States.
Group 2) As funds allow, I also reserve at least one scholarship spot for non-US students from economically disadvantaged countries, where they are vulnerable to experiencing oppression due to political, religious, gender or sexual orientation, health, or other marginalized social circumstances. This group also includes folks with sensitive nationality status, such as immigrants, refugees or displaced persons.
If either of these affinity groups describe you, please apply!
I do give priority consideration first to Black and Indigenous applicants, as well as trans POC+ folks. This is a protected, welcoming space for you.
Strong consideration is also given to eligible applicants who are applying their tea knowledge skills for community support purposes, including: Asian heritage cultural programs; youth groups; and programs supporting elderly, disabled, and mental health spaces.
Apply here for a Being Tea Scholarship
** Applications for 2023 are now closed ** However, you’re welcome to join our wait list, though! Funding can sometimes make a space available a little earlier, so it’s always good to be in touch and just check what’s available.
Otherwise, the application period is February-March, and scholarships are awarded in April. All scholarships are currently for our Being Tea membership program. If you are in one of the eligible affinity groups described above, you are welcome to apply.
A little backstory: Who reminds you that you are enough?
When I was first getting started in tea in 2003, I was in a really vulnerable place as I navigated a rocky, unknown transition from my previous career path. I benefited from generous, kind people who saw me and made room for my potential. In this new home, I wasn’t judged for my age, my lack of academic qualifications, the job title that I held. I just was – and got to be – tea. The ability for me to be what I wanted wasn’t questioned.
As I transitioned to working more with the wider industry, I felt suddenly exposed, without my nest. There were professional expectations, experiences, and financial backing that I just didn’t have yet. I was deeply self-conscious of this and spent years judging myself for not being “enough,” not being there yet.
It was only by the grace of finding places to volunteer my time professionally that I was able to keep growing and learning in tea, because I certainly couldn’t pay the cost of admission without help. I had friends who let me share hotel rooms and homes with them when I traveled for tea conferences, because I couldn’t afford that, either. I met new colleagues and friends who also did not judge me for my position in life. I’ve thought a lot about those early years as I’ve kept going in tea.
In 2015, I founded Being Tea as a means to offer education that’s accessible, affordable, and geared toward everyday life and enjoyment. Tea for enrichment. Tea that shows you that you are enough.
Thank you for supporting my work, as well as the well-being and education of fellow tea folks on the path!