Convention Booth Info - IPS (Int'l. Peace Scholarship) Fund

From its humble beginnings in 1919 when at the Convention of Supreme Chapter in Denver, Colorado, Franc Roads Elliot introduced a peace resolution stating, “We P.E.O. women would join hands in any movement looking toward the abolishment of war,” to the first international scholarships being awarded to two students in 1949 using money from the P.E.O. Victory Fund (which later became the International Peace Scholarship Fund), IPS has supported education for international women students pursuing postgraduate degrees in the U.S. and Canada for 72 years.

As of June of 2021, a total of 6,549 women from 179 countries have received just over $47 million for advanced degrees. Our goal of “Fostering Global Peace Through Education” remains the core value of our mission where IPS students use their education to make a positive impact in their home countries as transformational leaders.

Local P.E.O. Chapters are encouraged to enhance chapter life through participation in the Partners in Peace (PIP) program. Chapters are paired with a student and are encouraged to support and communicate with these students who are so far from home and family. A record number of 1,005 PIP chapters participated in this program during 2020-2021.

The pandemic of COVID-19 reinforced the global connectivity of humankind. It was reassuring to see and hear of P.E.O. sisters reaching out to international students in their area to ensure their health and safety during the initial uncertainty of the pandemic. 

This week's virtual convention featured a booth about this fund. A visitor to this booth's "Resource Library" could see “Notes of Gratitude” from some of our recipients, who have been so appreciative of the love and care they received. (And we could post notes of encouragement to them!)