The College Crusade of Rhode Island Receives Grant Awards Totaling $85,000
Three local foundations support college-readiness programs and advisory services for Rhode Island students
Providence, R.I., May 18, 2009 – The College Crusade of Rhode Island today announced it has recently received three grant awards totaling $85,000 to support college-readiness programs and services for youth in Rhode Island’s low-income urban school districts. The organization received a gift of $50,000 from the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, Bank of America, Trustee; a gift of $20,000 from the Amgen Foundation; and a gift of $15,000 from Textron Charitable Trust.
The grants help to underwrite a wide range of College Crusade programs designed to increase student readiness for college, including extracurricular reading and math enrichment, SAT test preparation, campus visits, leadership development opportunities, career exploration activities, and financial aid workshops. The grant also supports the services of College Crusade Advisors, who counsel students in middle schools and high schools throughout Central Falls, Pawtucket, Providence, and Woonsocket about how to get ready for college.
“These are challenging times for funders and for organizations working to address the fundamental needs of our communities,” said Robert Oberg, director of development for The College Crusade. “On behalf of thousands of Rhode Island students who have dedicated themselves to academic achievement despite economic and cultural obstacles, we thank these foundations for investing so generously in college readiness at this critical juncture. Their important gifts will make a lasting difference in the lives of many hard-working young people – from high school seniors looking forward to a college acceptance letter to sixth graders who are just starting out on the college path.”
“The College Crusade of Rhode Island is an impressive program that represents many of the values that Mr. Balfour honored in his lifetime, in particular its emphasis on educational achievement and support for the postsecondary aspirations of underserved youth,” said Kim Igoe-Kasper, senior foundation officer, Bank of America. “As Trustee of the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, we are pleased to contribute this gift as an investment in young people who aim high and seek to equip themselves for successful futures.”
About The College Crusade of Rhode Island
The College Crusade of Rhode Island is the state’s most comprehensive college-readiness and scholarship program for middle school and high school students in low-income urban school districts. It serves approximately 3,800 students per year and rewards the efforts and achievements of financially eligible students with up to four years of college scholarships. From grade 6 through grade 12, Crusaders experience the steady, nurturing presence of caring adults and participate in activities that focus on academic enrichment, social and personal development, career awareness and exploration, and readiness for college. Students who are members of The College Crusade graduate and go right on to college at much higher rates than their peers in the state’s urban school districts. Since 2001, The College Crusade has awarded over $20 million in college scholarships to more than 2,700 graduates from Rhode Island high schools. For more information, please visit www.thecollegecrusade.org.
The College Crusade is a nonprofit organization funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education’s GEAR UP program, by the State of Rhode Island, and by private corporations, foundations, and individuals.
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