Incentive Award Scholarships for 36 Bay Area high school seniors to be announced Thursday |
|
02 June 2004 ATTENTION: Education writers, assignment desks |
Contact:
Maryellen Himell
|
WHAT
The awarding of four-year, $30,000 Incentive Award scholarships to 36 high school seniors from nine Bay Area school districts so that they may attend UC Berkeley in the fall. In all, more than $1.4 million will be awarded this year to recipients from Northern and Southern California.
These graduating high school seniors will be first-generation college students who have overcome extreme socioeconomic hardships. They were selected on the basis of their commitment to public service, leadership potential and academic achievement.
WHEN
Thursday, June 3. The program and presentation of awards begin at 8 p.m. They are preceded by a 6 p.m. reception and 7 p.m. dinner
WHERE
The Oakland Marriott Hotel, Emelyn K. Jewett Ballroom, 1001 Broadway, Oakland.
WHO
California State Secretary of Education Richard J. Riordan will be the keynote speaker.
DETAILS
The Incentive Awards Program, which has received over $40 million in private funding, is now UC Berkeley's largest privately funded scholarship program. In its 13th year, it has provided full-cost, four-year scholarships to 330 high school seniors who might otherwise not be able to attend UC Berkeley.
It recruits a socio-economically diverse population of young people and nurtures them as leaders. Established in just 12 schools in San Francisco in 1992, the program now serves 10 school districts from San Jose to the East Bay and has expanded to 22 schools in the Los Angeles area.
With decreased funding for K-12 educational partnership programs, increased UC fees and a lack of opportunity for too many public school students, privately funded programs like the Incentive Awards are more important than ever before to keep the gates open at UC Berkeley and other public universities.