The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis Receives Grant from Deaconess Foundation

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The Scholarship Foundation of St. Louis recently received a grant from Deaconess Foundation designed to support postsecondary education advocacy efforts for low-income and first-generation students. Deaconess invested in a wide range of St. Louis-area organizations to achieve better outcomes for children and youth with grants totaling more than half a million dollars to 24 projects and the regional initiative entitled “Ready by 21.”

The Scholarship Foundation’s education policy internship program offers Foundation students the chance to influence policies affecting low-income and first-generation college students, and inform their community on issues affecting themselves and others. The 2013-2014 policy interns conducted research, wrote editorials, met with community leaders, and engaged in a set of very productive meetings with state leaders in Jefferson City.

The 2014 grant was part of Deaconess’ Community Capacity Building Initiative designed to create, strengthen, and expand the region’s capability to achieve and sustain effective action that brings about better outcomes for children and youth. The announcement was part of the foundation’s day-long “Children at the Center” event held on July 26 at the O’Fallon Park Recreation Complex in north St. Louis, celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the Deaconess’ mission.

Pictured left to right are Rev. Starsky Wilson (President and CEO of Deaconess Foundation); JaMya Short (Scholarship Foundation policy intern); Karissa Anderson (Scholarship Foundation policy intern); Earl Shreckengast (Scholarship Foundation Board Member and Vice President-External Relations); Karina Arango (Scholarship Foundation policy intern); Faith Sandler (Scholarship Foundation Executive Director).