The PepsiCo Foundation Gives $750,000 Grant To Warrior-Scholar Project

PURCHASE, N.Y., Nov. 10, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The PepsiCo Foundation today announced a grant of $750,000 to the Warrior-Scholar Project ("WSP"), an intensive program hosted at America's top universities to prepare student-veterans for the transition from a military culture to an academic culture. 

The PepsiCo Foundation grant, which will vest over the next three years, will support the established one and two-week college preparatory 'boot camp' and also fund the development of a new WSP model with a business-focused curriculum to benefit and prepare recipients with relevant and practical skills in years to come.  As a founding partner of the Business Initiative, PepsiCo leaders will also mentor students through their studies and ultimately as they transition into jobs.

"We are immensely grateful to all those who have sacrificed to preserve, protect, and defend our country, and we are deeply committed to not only hiring veterans, but also supporting the training they need as they transition from serving our country to pursuing a higher education, and then entering the workplace," said Indra K. Nooyi, Chairman and CEO of PepsiCo.  "At PepsiCo, we have long-believed that veterans enrich our organization and bring valuable leadership skills that can immeasurably strengthen our business."

"We are delighted to partner with PepsiCo as we build the new Business Initiative and incorporate business-focused curriculum into our program," said Dr. Sid Ellington, WSP Executive Director.  "This program extension will not only provide useful skills training, it will also help veterans and active-duty personnel who have not yet completed a bachelor's degree, gain confidence to reenter and become leaders in the classroom."

The Warrior-Scholar Project began in 2012 with a liberal arts/humanities–based curriculum.  In 2015, WSP expanded the one week course offering with a second week of instruction focused on STEM curriculum.  This year, approximately 250 veterans participated in the program, across the following universities: Amherst College, Cornell, Georgetown, Harvard, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Princeton, Syracuse, Texas A&M, University of Michigan, University of Arizona, University of Chicago, Yale, University of Oklahoma, University of Southern California, University of Notre Dame.

PepsiCo has a long legacy of military hiring and as a leading military and business partner.  Last year, nearly one quarter of the company's external supply chain hires were veterans, and the Army was one of PepsiCo's top-three sources for recruits. In 2010, the company established an employee resource group called VALOR to recognize, appreciate and support PepsiCo's veterans, military members, their families, and the communities in which they live and work. PepsiCo also invests in the wider military community through organizations like Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation, which provides children of fallen military an opportunity for a college education; and Operation Shower, which hosts baby showers for military moms-to-be. In addition, PepsiCo has played an active role in events like Fleet Week, the USO's September 11th annual remembrance and Carry the Load. 

About PepsiCo Foundation 
Established in 1962, the PepsiCo Foundation works with non-profit partners to develop innovative, sustainable solutions that address challenges in underserved communities around the world.  The Foundation, along with PepsiCo and its employees, seeks to catalyze efforts that advance our Performance with Purpose 2025 goals. 

For more information, please visit: www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Global-Citizenship.

About PepsiCo 
PepsiCo products are enjoyed by consumers one billion times a day in more than 200 countries and territories around the world. PepsiCo generated approximately $63 billion in net revenue in 2016, driven by a complementary food and beverage portfolio that includes Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola, Quaker and Tropicana. PepsiCo's product portfolio includes a wide range of enjoyable foods and beverages, including 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in estimated annual retail sales.

At the heart of PepsiCo is Performance with Purpose – our fundamental belief that the success of our company is inextricably linked to the sustainability of the world around us. We believe that continuously improving the products we sell, operating responsibly to protect our planet and empowering people around the world enable PepsiCo to run a successful global company that creates long-term value for society and our shareholders. For more information, visit www.pepsico.com.  

About the Warrior-Scholar Project

The Warrior-Scholar Project (WSP) runs immersive academic boot camps hosted at America's top universities for enlisted military veterans. The majority of enlisted personnel exiting the military have not been in a classroom setting for several years, and find it hard to transition, being unprepared for the fundamentally different social and cultural environment. WSP helps veterans rediscover and develop the skills and confidence necessary to successfully complete 4-year undergraduate programs in higher education. WSP unlocks their educational potential and transforms the way veterans view themselves as students. For more information, visit http://www.warrior-scholar.org, email [email protected]or call 202-625-4313.

SOURCE PepsiCo