UMass Dartmouth Receives $75,000 from Hearst Foundation to Increase and Support Endeavor Scholars
UMass Dartmouth has been awarded a $75,000 grant from the William Randolph Hearst Foundation to support the Endeavor Scholars scholarship program, which is designed to attract talented students who might not otherwise be able to attend the university.
"Our Endeavor Scholars Fund advances the University's mission to provide students access to a world-class educations," said UMass Dartmouth Chancellor Divina Grossman. "We are grateful to the Hearst Foundation for their generous award and look forward to meeting the scholars and leaders this program will develop."
In 2010, UMass Dartmouth received an anonymous gift to establish the Endeavor Scholars program. Focused on expanding educational opportunities for women and underrepresented minorities, the Endeavor Scholarship rewards academic merit and leadership capability and provides recipients with a full-cost scholarship for eight semesters. As part of this program, awardees must fully engage in academic, as well as co-curricular activities, and reside in a living/learning environment on-campus with other Endeavor Scholars.
In addition to rigorous academic programming, the Endeavor Scholars spend many hours in leadership training/classes and community service. Each student has a capstone project, in which they design and implement a program, event, or research project related to their passion for community service. The awardees represent a broad socio-economic range and academic interest. Mentorship and collaboration are critical underpinnings of this program's success.
The UMass Dartmouth Foundation sought the support of the Hearst Foundation to increase support for the Endeavor Scholars program as challenging economic times often present unanticipated financial challenges for students and their families. Endeavor Scholars Program seeks to enroll a diverse group of outstanding students who understand that leadership is not innate, but fostered, believe that women and minorities own a place at the table of change, appreciate that hard work and scholarship are required for success, embrace the idea that students can change the world through service, and who are committed to sharing their skills and knowledge with the wider community and world.