Ford Motor Company Fund and LULAC Announce $400,000 in Grants and Scholarships for Education
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Ford Motor Company Fund and the League of United Latin American
Citizens (LULAC) announce 2016 Ford Driving Dreams Grants and
scholarships -
Ten LULAC councils to receive grants to implement high school dropout
prevention programs and provide resources to students to pursue a
higher education -
Ford Driving Dreams Grants has invested more than $1.3 million,
assisting more than 1,500 students and 60 Councils across the country
WASHINGTON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, 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.
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.
“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.
About Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services
Ford Motor Company Fund and Community Services works with community
and global partners to advance driving safety, education and community
life. Ford Motor Company Fund has operated for more than 65 years with
ongoing funding from Ford Motor Company. Ford Driving Skills for Life is
free, interactive, hands-on safety training focused on skill development
and driving techniques, while addressing inexperience, distractions and
impaired driving. Innovation in education is encouraged through Ford
Blue Oval Scholars, Ford Driving Dreams, Ford Next Generation Learning
and other innovative programs that enhance high school learning and
provide college scholarships and university grants. The Ford Volunteer
Corps enlists more than 30,000 Ford employees and retirees each year to
work on local projects that strengthen their communities and improve
people’s lives in more than 40 countries around the world. For more
information, visit www.community.ford.com
For news releases, related materials and high-resolution photos and
video, visit www.media.ford.com.
Contacts
Comunicad
Maria Ibañez
703-980-9258
mi@comunicad.com
or
MJ
Sandoval
703-531-7940
ms@comunicad.com
