News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 14, 2003

Lumina Foundation announces $1 million in grants to improve college access and success

INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis-based Lumina Foundation for Education has announced 14 grants totaling more than $1 million to expand college access and student success nationwide. The grants were approved in the first quarter of 2003.

"Many colleges, universities and community organizations are unlocking the potential of traditionally underserved students with innovative approaches to college access and success," said Martha D. Lamkin, president and CEO of Lumina Foundation. "With support from Lumina Foundation, these groups can expand and improve their programs and, ultimately, help more first-generation, adult and low-income students and students of color succeed in an education beyond high school."

Grants approved by Lumina Foundation in the first quarter of 2003 are listed below, grouped by the Foundation's primary theme areas.

Access
Many financial and nonfinancial factors inhibit college access. The following grants address some of these barriers:

Daniel Murphy Scholarship Foundation (Chicago, IL) — A $207,300, 22-month grant to strengthen the organization's capacity to place and support more low-income minority students in college-preparatory schools by raising the organization's visibility and expanding its fund-raising capacity and its services to more students.

Eckerd College (St. Petersburg, FL) — $10,000 grant to support its Program for Experienced Learners (PEL).

St. Petersburg College (St. Petersburg, FL) — $10,000 grant to support its programs for at-risk students — the Women on the Way Program, the Seminole Information Commons, the Learning Support Centers and the New Initiative and Pathway Programs.

McCabe Fund — The eight grants listed below were awarded as part of the McCabe Fund. This initiative supports organizations that enable students — particularly first-generation college students, low-income students and students of color — to gain access to postsecondary education. The McCabe Fund provides modest, competitive grants for programs that work directly with students to improve access to postsecondary education. Grant proposals for this initiative are accepted by invitation only. These grants span two years.

American University (Washington, D.C.) — A $74,800 grant to encourage underrepresented high school and middle school students to pursue postsecondary education and professional careers through experiential learning and an annual computer science conference.

Augusta State University (Augusta, GA) — A $75,000 grant to implement successful parts of a previously state-funded access program in two predominantly African-American high schools in Georgia.

Center for Leadership Development (Indianapolis, IN) — A $75,000 grant to establish a College Prep Institute to help high school students of color prepare for and enroll in college.

Cleveland Scholarship Program, Inc. (Cleveland, OH) — A $75,000 grant to provide enrichment activities and college access services outside the classroom for low-income sixth- through ninth-graders.

College Bound (Washington, D.C.) — A $75,000 grant to prepare area middle and high school students for postsecondary education through long-term mentoring relationships with adult professionals.

Jefferson County Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education (Louisville, KY) — A $74,700 grant to provide support services that help recent GED graduates make the transition to postsecondary education.

Learning Network of Clinton County (Frankfort, IN) — A $63,100 grant to foster interest in postsecondary education among low-income and minority students with college and career exploration and the development of a youth leadership academy.

New Orleans Public Schools Scholarship Foundation (New Orleans, LA) — A $59,700 grant to prepare high school students for an education beyond high school through assistance with standardized testing, study skills, counseling, college visits and financial aid.

Student Success/Attainment
Once in college, many students confront stumbling blocks that inhibit them from reaching their educational goals. The following grant addresses issues regarding student persistence and goal attainment

Prep for Prep (New York, NY) — A $75,000, 10-month grant to help minority college students succeed by enhancing and expanding the support services of one of the nation's most successful pre-college access organizations.

Adult Students
Today's learners include a growing proportion of older students, as well as students who attend school part time and intermittently throughout their lives. The following grant focuses on the special needs of adult students.

Ivy Tech State College (Indianapolis, IN) — A $75,000, 10-month grant to encourage adult learners to enroll and help them succeed by offering customized support services, off-campus courses and a tailored curriculum in partnership with Indiana State University. This initiative will help Indiana's teacher aides meet new educational requirements.

Indiana-focused Initiatives
As an Indiana-based foundation, Lumina Foundation sets aside a modest portion of its grant money each year to fund projects that are specific to its home state. Most of these grants, including the one listed below, are focused on the Foundation's education mission; a relatively modest number support charitable civic participation.

Cathedral High School (Indianapolis, IN) — A $65,000, six-month grant to help plan the development of Starfish, an organization that will be devoted to enhancing the pre-college preparation of low-income Marion County students by helping them attend college-preparatory high schools.

Lumina Foundation for Education, a private, independent foundation, strives to help people achieve their potential by expanding access and success in education beyond high school. Through research, grants for innovative programs and communication initiatives, Lumina Foundation addresses issues surrounding access and success - particularly among underserved student groups, including adult learners. The Foundation bases its mission on the belief that postsecondary education remains one of the most beneficial investments that individuals can make in themselves and that society can make in its people.

For more information, contact Sara Murray-Plumer, director of communication at (317) 951-5493