The Leonore Annenberg Scholarship Fund
Purpose
The Leonore Annenberg Scholarship Fund identifies high school students who, in the face of difficult circumstances, demonstrate exceptional academic achievement and noble character. It then provides these students with Leonore Annenberg Scholarships covering all undergraduate expenses at academically rigorous four-year colleges or universities.
Rationale
In even the neediest neighborhoods and schools there are children who shine. Perhaps a child has just the right mix of intelligence, empathy and drive. Perhaps she has a parent, a guardian, or a teacher who sees her potential and simply refuses to let it go unrealized. This child works hard through elementary and middle school, using meager educational resources to maximum advantage. She enters high school and brightens her classes with intelligence and charm. Her teachers realize how uncommon she is and make certain—as best they can—that this child receives a solid education. She is smart by every measure, excellent in school and out. It is a very good bet that she will work hard all the way through college, graduate, and go on to enhance the quality of life for others.
This is the rarest sort of child, a child of talent, goodness and drive in circumstances that should crush all three. What a difference she could make in our world if she continued her rise to success.
But this child has inadequate resources, and the percentage of needy youth who attend college dipped in 2000 and hasn’t come back. Federal grants that once covered nearly half the cost of college for a child such as this, now cover far less. And more and more of our children in our schools are from low-income families. So even for this highest-achieving poor child, the chance of going to college is no better than a coin toss. Given all she could mean to our world, she, and we, need better odds.
How the Fund Operates
The Fund works largely through local partner organizations,* established or supported through the Annenberg Challenge for Public School Reform, to identify one young personper year in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Houston and a rural area. The partner organizations will gather evidence of the student’s exceptional academic ability, noble character, and great economic need. Such evidence might include scores on state reading and mathematics tests
*Boston Plan for Excellence
Houston A+ Challenge
New Visions for Public Schools
Philadelphia Futures
Rural School and Community Trust
and national placement examinations, transcripts, reference letters from teachers and other members of the community, and descriptions of school and community activities*
Fund staff will carefully review each student’s dossier, considering the school she attends and all accomplishments. Reference letters should include one letter from an academic source (teacher, principal, school district official) and one letter from a non-academic and non-family source who knows the candidate from another affiliation (religious institution, community organization, or other entity) and who can testify to the character of the candidate, her record of community service, or non-academic interests. An interview with the candidate will enable Fund staff to learn more about her initiative, intelligence, and character and to share their appreciation for the scholarship donor’s motivation and values.
On the basis of this review, staff recommends students for Leonore Annenberg Scholarships to four-year colleges or universities. The scholarships cover all costs through the undergraduate years, and provide a small stipend for additional expenses.
The recommendations then are brought to The Leonore Annenberg Scholarship and School FundsSelection Council for final approval.** Once final approval is given, Leonore Annenberg Scholarships are awarded. For each year of the award, Scholar will send their college transcripts to the Fund staff, who will review and approve their GPA and record their major. Staff at the partner organizations and, as appropriate, Fund staff, will monitor and mentor the students through their senior years and into and through college.
*These students are so rare, however, and the scholarship award is so generous, that it may be necessary for a partner organization to seek the best possible candidate through the auspices of a peer organization or from a net cast beyond its customary operating parameters.
**Michael Delli Carpini, Ph.D., Dean, The AnnenbergSchool for Communication, University
of Pennsylvania
Vartan Gregorian, Ph.D., President, The Carnegie Corporation of New York;
Kathleen Hall Jamieson, Ph.D., Walter and Leonore Annenberg Director, The Annenberg
PublicPolicyCenter, University of Pennsylvania
GailC. Levin, Ph.D., Executive Director, The Annenberg Foundation
Scott Roberts, Ph.D., Director, Annenberg Media
Timeline for Cohort II Candidates
September-October 2009:Partner organizations begin to collect information and identify scholarship candidates who are in their junior year of high school
December 2009:Each partner organization provides information about 3 candidates to Fund staff
March 30, 2010:Fund staff reviews information and works with each partner organization to narrow the list to a single candidate from each site.
Fund staff notifies candidates that they are being considered for an award. Candidates and their families provide information (transcripts, Leonore Annenberg Scholarship Fund Financial Form, completed essay). Candidates schedule an interview with Fund staff. Letters of recommendation from teachers and community members are submitted to Fund staff.
April 30, 2010:Selection Council meeting
May 15, 2010:Candidates are notified of awards
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