NEW LONDON, CT -- The Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut (CFECT) announces anunprecedented level of college scholarships made possible through the generosity of donors who believe in the power of education to change lives. More than 260 students from its 42 communities in Eastern Connecticut were selected by The Foundation’s Scholarship Committees to receive over $664,000 in single and multi-year awards.
“We are very fortunate that our donors share with us a resolve to remove the financial barriers for area students as they pursue their educational dreams and to create opportunities where few to none exist,” said Maryam Elahi, President and CEO of the Community Foundation. “Every child is important and whether it is through the arts, sciences, humanities or technical/vocational training, education is the catalyst for a brighter future for them and for our society.”
Closing the “opportunity gap” by making higher education more accessible to the region’s youth has long been a strategic priority for the Foundation. Scholarships are one of the critical ways to close this gap especially over the last decade when tuition costs have skyrocketed. The Foundation is affiliated with Community Foundation Opportunity Network, a national network that is addressing the impact of this opportunity gap and which is inspired by the writings of sociologist, Robert Putnam (Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis). “This partnership is informing the Community Foundation’s work with donors, nonprofits and other partners to strengthen a broad range of opportunities for youth of all ages in our region,” stresses Elahi.
Community Foundation Board Chair, Govind Menon said, “Supporting the future of young people in our communities is fundamentally important to our success. Communities will only prosper as our youth and families prosper. As part of our unique platform to facilitate change and offer strong leadership in this area, we are extremely pleased that our 103 scholarship funds enable us to make this important investment in our young people as they go out into the world and become the leaders of tomorrow.”
For a full list of scholarship recipients, visit our website: http://www.cfect.org/Scholarship-Seekers/Selecting-Recipients/2017-Recipients
About the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
Serving 42 towns and comprised of 476 charitable funds, the Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut puts philanthropy into action to address the needs, rights and interests of the region. The Foundation stewards net assets of more than $72 million and has awarded more than $48 million in grants and scholarships to nonprofits and students since its founding in 1983.
Scholarship Photos: Photo 1 - Zila Ake of Norwich Free Academy - Laura B. Seder Memorial Scholarship Recipient; Photo 2 - Sarah Uwazany of Marianopolis Preparatory School - Shirley Bradway Serafin Scholarship Recipient; Photo 3 - Liam Dyer of Woodstock Academy, recipient of the Esther & Lucie Harmon & Leta Sabin Trepal Scholarship.
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Contact:
Jennifer O’Brien
Program Director
Community Foundation of Eastern Connecticut
860-442-3572
jennob@cfect.org
Website & Social: www.cfect.org; Facebook.com/CommunityFoundationofEasternConnecticut; Twitter.com/cfectnews