Ford Awards Driving Dreams Grants

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Jul 242017
 

 

Ford Driving Dreams

Latino Traffic Report has learned that Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, recently named the recipients of the Ford Driving Dreams (FDD) Grants at the 88th Annual LULAC National Convention in San Antonio, Texas. A total of $400,000 in scholarships and grants will be awarded to ten Councils and LULAC National Educational Service Centers, Inc. (LNESC) to support programs that encourage students to graduate from high school, and provide resources to help them pursue a higher education.

Ford Fund will award eight LULAC Councils $20,000 each in FDD Grants to implement educational programs over two school years in collaboration with a local education entity. Grant recipients from 2015–LULAC Council #2862 in Sacramento, California. and LULAC Council #313 in Chicago, Illinois–were selected to each receive a $10,000 renewal grant for an additional school year to continue their successful programs to promote on-time high school graduation.

“Ford Fund is very proud of its collaboration with LULAC. Together we provide invaluable resources to help the councils build a stronger and brighter future for thousands of students in their own communities,” said Joe Avila, manager, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Education has long been a priority for Ford and we remain committed to helping our young people advance in school and reach their academic dreams.”

The new 2017 grant recipients are:

  • Council #2890 Hollister, California
  • Council #5294 Pilsen, Illinois
  • Council #13004 Holland, Michigan
  • Council #20009 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Council #214 Houston, Texas
  • Council #44017 South Jordan, Utah
  • Council #4614 Richmond, Virginia
  • Council #11126 Washington, DC
  • Council #2862 Sacramento, California (renewal grant)
  • Council #313 Chicago, Illinois (renewal grant)

Angelica Eggers is a beneficiary of the Ford Driving Dreams Grants program through the San Antonio LULAC Council #4619. Eggers participated in the Ford Driving Dreams program during her freshman and sophomore years at South San Antonio High School. This fall, she plans to attend Texas A&M University in San Antonio and major in criminology. “My hard work is paying off and because of the Ford Driving Dreams Grants program and LULAC, I am excited about going to college to earn my degree and reach my goals,” said Eggers.

“Helping young people succeed is a constant effort we have made possible in association with Ford Motor Company Fund so students can graduate high school on time and pursue a college education. Today, we celebrate and recognize the work of the Councils who are making sure that their communities are being empowered through academic excellence,” said Brent Wilkes, chief executive officer of LULAC.

Earlier this year, Ford Fund impacted the lives of San Antonio students with a donation of 10,000 new books to elementary schools, a reading party for second and third-graders at Miguel Carrillo, Jr. Elementary School, and $50,000 in scholarships awarded to 25 high school students preparing for college this fall.

Joe Avila, manager, Ford Motor Company Fund.

Ford Driving Dreams Grants has invested more than $1.3 million since its launch in 2010. More than 1,500 students and 60 Councils have been able to leverage their success to impact the lives of high school students across the country. Each FDD grant recipient will develop a sustainable program that reflect the local education landscape and relies on partnerships with local education institutions. For more information on the Ford Driving Dreams Grants, visit www.forddrivingdreams.com.

Ford Motor Company Fund has invested close to $5 million in scholarships and other education initiatives across the country, Panama, and Puerto Rico. In addition to Ford Driving Dreams, other Ford Fund educational programs include Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning, Ford College Community Challenge, and the Ford STEAM Lab. For more information, visit www.forddrivingdreams.com

Ford Fund Donates $400,000 to LULAC

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Jul 292016
 

PrintLatino Traffic Report has learned that the Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, named the recipients of the Ford Driving Dreams (FDD) Grants at the 87th Annual LULAC Convention in Washington, DC. A total of $400,000 in scholarships and grants will be awarded to 10 Councils and LULAC National Educational Service Centers, Inc. (LNESC) to support programs that encourage Latino students to graduate from high school, and provide resources to help them pursue a higher education. Ten Councils will receive $180,000 in FDD Grants to implement dropout prevention programs. Through LNESC, $220,000 in scholarships have been awarded to Hispanic students in San Antonio, Houston, and Puerto Rico.

Honorees from 2015.

Honorees from 2015.

Currently, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the high school graduation rate for Latinos is at an all-time high at 71 percent, a 10 percent increase from 2006. Yet, the Hispanic dropout rate is 10.6 percent, higher than the national dropout rate of 6.5 percent

Ford Motor Company Fund will award eight LULAC Councils a $20,000 grant over two school years to implement high school dropout prevention programs in collaboration with a local educational entity. The eight grant recipients that will implement their programs this fall are:

  • LULAC Council #4609 Arlington, VA
  • LULAC Council #7 Laredo, TX
  • LULAC Council #333 Milwaukee, WI
  • LULAC Council #40002 Portland, OR
  • LULAC Council #754 Rogers, AR
  • LULAC Council #15164 Toa Alta, PR
  • LULAC Council #11125 Washington, DC
  • LULAC Council #5273 Waukegan, IL

As a result of their success in 2014, LULAC Council #2848, Anaheim, Calif., and LULAC Council #44040, Provo, Utah, were selected to each receive a $10,000 grant from Ford Motor Company Fund to continue their programs for an additional school year. These model Councils will continue the programs that uniquely promote on-time high school graduation through student engagement activities such as mentoring and academic support.

Joe Avila.

Joe Avila.

“We are very proud of our work with LULAC, because together we are able to provide the resources to help the Councils build brighter educational futures for thousands of students in their own communities,” said Joe Avila, community outreach manager, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Education has long been a priority for Ford, and we are committed to helping our youth acquire the tools they need for future success.”

“Helping young people succeed is a constant effort we have made possible in association with Ford Motor Company Fund so students can graduate high school on time and pursue a college education. Today we celebrate and recognize the work of the Councils who are making sure that their communities are being empowered through academic excellence,” said Brent Wilkes, national executive director of LULAC.

Ford Driving Dreams Grants has invested more than $1.3 million since its launch in 2010. More than 1,500 students and 60 Councils have been able to leverage their success across the country. LULAC Council #21006 in Silver Spring, Maryland, used the $20,000 FDD grant awarded in 2014 to implement a program to help Latino students achieve their academic dreams with GapBuster, Inc., their educational partner.

One student is Luis Rosales, who, with 37 other students in the program, successfully graduated high school on time. Rosales recently graduated with honors from Montgomery Community College and this fall will attend Georgetown University School of Business on a full scholarship. Rosales and the FDD students started the first LULAC Youth Council in Maryland and is now a board member of GapBuster, Inc.

Each FDD grant recipient will develop a sustainable program that reflect the local education landscape and relies on partnerships with local education institutions. For more information on the Ford Driving Dreams Grants, visit www.lulac.org/ford

Ford Motor Company Fund, invests more than $10 million a year in scholarships and other education initiatives across the country. In addition to Ford Driving Dreams, other Ford Fund educational programs include Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning, Ford College Community Challenge and the Ford STEAM Lab. For more information, visit www.forddrivingdreams.com

Ford Partners with LULAC, Invests $180,000 in Education Programs

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Jul 102015
 

LULACBillboard

Salt Lake City, UT—Ford Motor Company Fund announced a total of $180,000 for the 2015 Ford Driving Dreams Through Education, LULAC grantees as they work together to promote on-time high school graduation and college enrollment among Latinos, the fastest-growing segment in public schools. The grantee recipients were announced today, July 10, at LULAC’s 86th Annual National Convention in Salt Lake City.

Eight LULAC councils will each receive a $20,000 grant over two school years to implement a high school dropout prevention program in partnership with an educational entity. The eight grant recipients are:

  • Chicago, IL #313
  • Corpus Christi, TX #1
  • Little Rock, AR #756
  • Milwaukee, WI #319
  • Moline, IL #5285
  • Sacramento, CA #2862
  • Stockton, CA #2060
  • Vancouver, WA. #47013

Given their success, two grantees from 2013–LULAC Council #8035, Albuquerque, NM and LULAC Council #4933, Austin, TX–were selected to receive a $10,000 grant from Ford to continue their programs for an additional school year. These model councils will continue programs that uniquely promote on-time high school graduation through student engagement activities such as mentoring and academic support. The eight new LULAC council grantees will begin to implement their programs this fall.

Joe Avila, manager of community outreach, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.

Joe Avila, manager of community outreach, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services.

“For six consecutive years, Ford Driving Dreams Through Education has activated local LULAC Councils around the country. Together we have made an extraordinary impact on more than 1,200 students by providing them with access to technology resources and innovative opportunities that help them achieve academic success,” said Joe Avila, manager of community outreach, Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services. “Education will always be a priority for Ford because there is still much work to do to ensure that Hispanics attain a solid education that will prepare them for the future.”

Since launching Ford Driving Dreams Through Education grants in 2010, LULAC Councils have been able to leverage their success. One of the first grant recipients, LULAC Council #326 in Milwaukee has made great strides since receiving the $20,000 grant to work with at-risk students in some of the most challenging public schools. The council used the grant to start a dual-enrollment program with the Milwaukee Area Technical College and Milwaukee Public Schools. The program has inspired these students to graduate from high school and then to transition college. For each class taken in the program, students earn credit towards high school graduation as well as college transferable credits.

To date, the student participants in the council’s program have achieved a 100 percent high school graduation rate and 100 percent college transition rate. As a result of the Ford Driving Dreams grant, the council has continued to raise and secure matching funds, resulting in a $485,000 grant from the Great Lakes Foundation to continue their educational programs and help more students.

Margaret Moran, LULAC president.

Margaret Moran, LULAC president.

“LULAC has always placed great emphasis on education and leadership development of our youth,” said LULAC National President Margaret Moran. “Although we have seen a decrease in the nation’s dropout rate, we must continue our efforts to ensure all students graduate from high school. Today, we congratulate the grant recipients for helping Latino students graduate and thank the Ford Motor Company Fund for its continued help in this effort.”

The educational success of the next generation is critical to the entire U.S. workforce. In the Latino community specifically, data from the Pew Research Center shows that the Hispanic high school dropout rate has declined and reached a record low. Yet, the Hispanic dropout rate remains higher than it is among African Americans, whites and Asians. Moreover, Hispanics still lag in obtaining a four-year degree even though they are the largest minority group on U.S. college campuses tripling the number of 18 to 24 year olds enrolled in a two-to-four-year college.

The Ford Driving Dreams Through Education Grants were launched in 2010, and to date, 52 grant recipients have worked to keep more than 1,200 students on the road to graduation. The grant selection process considers the best practices for engaging students, including mentorship programs, after-school volunteer and extracurricular programs, and parental involvement. The winning programs also must be sustainable, reflect the local education landscape, and rely on partnerships with local education institutions. For more information on the Ford Driving Dreams grants, visit www.lulac.org/ford.

Ford Motor Company Fund, the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, invests more than $8 million a year in scholarships and other education initiatives. In addition to Ford Driving Dreams, Ford Fund educational programs include Ford Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Next Generation Learning, Ford College Community Challenge and the Ford STEAM Lab