Organizers of Simply Slavic festival supporting YSU students with scholarship

Organizers of a local cultural festival are seeking current Youngstown State University students to apply for scholarship opportunities.

When is the Simply Slavic festival?

Simply Slavic is a two-day festival featuring live folk music, a market, polka bands, professional dance groups, and homemade cultural cuisine, all located in downtown Youngstown.

This year, the festival starts June 16 at 5-11 p.m. and continues from 12:15 p.m. until midnight June 17.

Admission is $5, and kids 12 years old and under get in free.

Who can apply for scholarships?

Any YSU freshmen currently enrolled at the undergraduate or graduate level pursuing any degree can apply.

All applications must include an essay on how Slavic culture has influenced their lives, with a 500-word count.

The deadline for scholarship applicants is July 31, and the winners will be announced in August.

Students can use the scholarship for tuition and expenses such as books, lodging, and study abroad programs.

Applications are available at SimplySlavic.org under the tab FORMS. For more information, call 330-333-1441 or email info@simplyslavic.org

Rodina Lager and Modern Method Brewing

The scholarship for YSU students comes from a local partnership between Simply Slavic and Modern Method Brewing, located in Warren, that was first created in 2018 with a signature drink called Rodina Lager.

The Rodina Lager has become the signature beer of the Simply Slavic festival because it’s named after the word “family” in many Slavic languages.

“Today, we express that sentiment more broadly when we claim as a family, not just our relatives, but the people we choose to celebrate life. Our beer commemorates the enduring strength of this joyous belief in the family -- as strong today as it was for our ancestors,” said Simply Slavic Board President John Slanina.

Rodina Lager sales have “raised thousands of dollars since 2018, providing the foundation for the scholarship offerings again this year.

As the official beer of Simply Slavic, Rodina Lager will be available after a ceremonial firkin tapping on Friday night at the festival in downtown Youngstown and in the Modern Methods Taproom in downtown Warren.

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