The Center for Lactation Equity Announces Two Scholarships for 2024!

The Center works towards strategies that will build an inclusive lactation community that understands, appreciates, and values equity, diversity, and cultural humility. One of the methods through which the Center seeks to do this is through scholarship opportunities for IBCLC candidates who are part of populations that are under-represented in the clinical lactation care community. 

NLCA’s Center for Lactation Equity is proud to announce its 2024 Scholarship to increase access to the IBCLC® credential for persons of color living within the US with demonstrated financial need. The two scholarships are a combined total $1124 and are broken down as follows:

  • One (1) Lactation Education Resources “Lactation Consultant Training Program Enriched (LCTP)” 95+ hour course valued at $1025 
  • One (1) Lactation Education Resources “IBLCE Exam Review” general education course valued at $99 

Each scholarship funds participation in the specified education program offered by Lactation Education Resources. Applicants will receive educational hours with the goal of qualifying for the IBCLC® certification exam offered by the IBLCE. Applicants may apply for one or both scholarships; however, applicants will only be awarded one scholarship. 

Scholarship recipients will be expected to permit NLCA and the Center to recognize them publicly on our website and social media. Should the recipient not complete the educational hours for which the applicant received funding, NLCA will be fully and promptly reimbursed accordingly.

TIMELINE

Complete applications (defined as containing all supporting documentation) must be submitted by 12:00am on July 15, 2024. Scholarship awards will be announced August 5th via direct contact and publicly on www.NLCA.us.

APPLICATION AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS

We invite you to apply by completing the application linked to via the QR code or by visiting
Exam Review Scholarship Application
The 95+ Hours of Lactation Education Course

Please note that you must have the following supporting documents ready to upload at the time you complete your application:

  1. A letter of recommendation (one-page double spaced maximum) from a supervisor, instructor or IBCLC® colleague
  2. A short statement (300 words or less) outlining why you have chosen to be an IBCLC® and how this scholarship would impact you and the communities in which you currently serve (or hope to serve). 

Thank you for applying for and telling others about NLCA’s Center for Lactation Equity 2024 Scholarship and thank you to Lactation Education Resources for their generosity in providing these scholarships!

Questions? Please email info@nlca.us!

*CLE uses terms as recommended by the Bias-Free Language Guidelines set forth by the American Psychological Association.

Center for Lactation Equity
“The Center”

NLCA awards 2022 scholarship from its Center for Lactation Equity

NLCA is pleased to announce the award of its 2022 scholarship from its Center for Lactation Equity. In her own words:

My name is Kamisha Walker of Jacksonville, NC. I am privileged to be selected as an NLCA Center for Lactation Equity Scholarship recipient. This scholarship aims to improve diversity in the breastfeeding industry by increasing access to and the number of lactation consultants of color. I take satisfaction in having received this honor as an African American woman. I am grateful and appreciative for this chance to be awarded access to the educational review program that Lactation Education Resources offers. I will use this benefit as I prepare for the upcoming IBCLE exam.

Mission:
The mission of the NLCA Center for Lactation Equity is to advance health equity by increasing families’ access to clinical lactation consultant professionals (IBCLC®) in the United States and cultivating a culture of diversity and inclusion within the IBCLC® profession.

Vision:
Equity in the field of clinical lactation care by elimination of barriers to achieving the IBCLC® credential and availability for families to access culturally appropriate care from those in their communities.

Center for Lactation Equity:
Achieving our vision requires work to increase access to scholarships, resources, education, and mentors for candidates for the IBCLC® credential to receive the needed didactic and clinical training to develop their skills. We work towards the promotion of the credential in the marketplace, and empowering professionals who hold the IBCLC® credential to thrive and to achieve recognition for their clinical lactation care expertise on the health care team in hospitals, clinics and in a variety of community settings. We work towards strategies that will build an inclusive lactation community that understands, appreciates, and values equity, diversity, and cultural humility.

Our goals include:

  • Construct a forum that promotes engagement in the essential work of improving health equity, diversity, and inclusion in the lactation community.
  • Remove barriers to access to the lactation consultant (IBCLC®) profession.
  • Increase community awareness for the need for lactation consultants (IBCLC®) from diverse populations.
  • Increase access to culturally appropriate care from lactation consultants (IBCLC®) representing their cultural community
  • Identify opportunities to enhance the number of mentors available for aspiring lactation consultants (IBCLC®) from diverse populations.
  • Increase awareness in the marketplace of the need for culturally appropriate clinical lactation care.
  • Promote development of training programs in institutions of higher education where students have access to financial aid and receive a degree on completion of their studies in clinical lactation care.
  • Promote consistent reimbursement by third party payers including Medicaid.

If you are interested in joining our Center, please visit our contact page to share your contact information and to express your interest. Thank you.