Cooke Foundation Awards $350,000 in Academic Grants

LANSDOWNE, Va., Feb. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation today announced $350,000 in grants to three programs in North Carolina, New York and Washington, D.C., to provide academic enrichment opportunities for outstanding low-income students.

"Too often, low-income parents can't afford to send their high-achieving children to rigorous academic programs outside of school," said Cooke Foundation Executive Director Harold O. Levy. "These grants will make it possible for many extraordinary students to participate in such programs, furthering their education and better preparing them for college."

A $200,000 grant will go to the Duke University Talent Identification Program (TIP) in North Carolina. DukeTIP has served over 2.8 million academically talented students in 4^th through 12^th grades since 1980, providing them with a broad range of enrichment programs. The foundation grant will help fund Project Launch, which serves 565 students in 5^th and 6^th grades with academic interventions, including summer residential programs and online courses. The grant brings the foundation's support for Project Launch to over $950,000 since 2014.

A $100,000 grant will go to the Society for Science & the Public in Washington, D.C. The society works to expand scientific literacy, STEM (science, technology engineering and math) education and scientific research through its world-class science competitions and its two publications, Science News and Science News for Students. The grant will enable the organization to expand a program pairing science research educators with low-income middle and high school students to guide them in completing research and entering science research competitions. Cooke Foundation funding for the society totals $200,000 since 2015.

A $50,000 grant will go to the Telluride Association in Ithaca, New York, which provides educational programs for exceptionally high-achieving high school and college students. The grant will provide stipends and subsidize transportation for low-income high school students participating in Telluride's tuition-free six-week summer program held at Cornell University, Indiana University and the University of Michigan, offering a rigorous curriculum in the humanities and social sciences. The grant will also help fund an expansion of mentorships and support programs that provide alumni with guidance on applying for and succeeding in college. Total Cooke Foundation funding to Telluride comes to $100,000 since 2015.     

The Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the foundation has provided over $152 million in scholarships to nearly 2,200 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive counseling and other support services. The foundation has also awarded over $90 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

Media Contact: David Egner 
202-779-1743 
[email protected]

SOURCE Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

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http://www.jkcf.org