The Liana Gertsch Memorial Scholarship at Kaplani School

The Liana Gertsch Memorial Scholarship at Kaplani School

Status: Active

Purpose: To honor Liana Gertsch's life and work by contributing to educational access in the Himalayan region she loved

Geographic Scope: Uttarakhand, India (Kaplani School vicinity near Mussoorie)

Institution: Kaplani School near Woodstock in the vicinity of Mussoorie in Uttarakhand, India

Founded: Originally established by classmates who knew Liana at Woodstock High School

About Liana Gertsch:

Graduate of Woodstock School in Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, India

Career dedicated to promoting educational reform for children in communities around the world

Professional Experience:

- Started career with Bernard van Leer Foundation and Oxfam in the Netherlands
- 5 years at Save the Children in Bangladesh as Chief of Party
- 1 year in Malawi as Director of Programme Development and Quality
- 3 years as Director of RTI in the Kyrgyz Republic, launching education project "Okuu Keremet!"
- Chief of Party for RTI International in Liberia
- Died from meningitis in Liberia

Legacy: Provided access to education for young, poor children across multiple continents

Survived by her sisters and three children

Selection Criteria:

Primary: Financial need

Secondary:

- Strong character
- Commitment to others
- Academic aptitude

Funding Structure:

Donations to the Gertsch Fund are placed in a permanently restricted endowment

Scholarships are financed from earnings of the endowment

Contributions are tax-deductible

Application Documents:

Formal endowment agreement detailing the Scholarship's mechanisms and donor motivations available upon request