Past Grants

BELL Foundation (Building Educated Leaders for Life)

For support of the Summer Learning Initiative to enhance the academic and social achievement of 2,000 Baltimore City public elementary school students. The program offers six weeks of high-quality academic and social enrichment, eight hours a day, five days a week. Serving students from nine schools identified as needing improvement, the initiative has a goal of ensuring that 100 percent of the BELL participants advance out of the failing level, and at least 75 percent achieve proficiency levels in core academic skills.

Boys’ Latin School of Maryland

Two grants to support tutoring, a meal plan, and a scholarship for a former Baraka School student.

Building STEPS, Inc.

For expansion of a science and technology college access program for an additional 20 underserved students in two to three Baltimore City public schools. Beginning in 11th grade, the program is designed to recruit students who have an interest in science, technology, and math, and who have average grades. During the course of the year, the students will be exposed to science and technology-based professionals through monthly off-campus seminar series. The seminars will be followed by placements in summer internships with companies focusing on science and technology. Throughout the 12th grade, STEPS will assist in the college application process and free SAT tutoring. After the students matriculate in college, the STEPS staff will maintain contact with them and encourage graduation, to ensure employment in promising science, technology, engineering, and math fields.

Chester Bridge Foundation, Inc.

For start-up costs of the Chesapeake Marine Trades School, Atlantic Maritime School, and the Anchor Academy, a Baltimore City Public School System charter high school. These programs are part of an overall strategy to provide a seamless workforce training system ensuring well-paying employment for graduating high school students within the commercial maritime industries.

Core Knowledge Foundation

Two grants in support of the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence Initiative in four Baltimore City Head Start Centers for March 2007 through June 2008. The initiative provides teacher training covering the implementation of language, social, mathematical reasoning, and number sense skills; leadership development; Core Knowledge resources and supplies; effective responses to issues of educating children with English as a Second Language, and collecting a comprehensive student baseline data for ongoing assessments of each child.