Written by Thrive Scholars

Thrive Scholars Cleveland announced today it has been awarded a $25,000 grant from Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. The grant will support Thrive in advancing its mission to provide high-achieving students of color from low-income communities the opportunities they need to thrive at top colleges and in high-trajectory careers like STEM, finance, business, and law.

“Generational poverty is a barrier for far too many Cleveland residents, one that creates a lifetime of inequity,” said Susanna Krey, president of the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland. “We are supporting Thrive Scholars because they are working to remove that barrier for Cleveland students and helping create a path for real economic mobility.”

Currently, 17 Cleveland-area students are participating in the Thrive Scholars program.  Five Scholars just finished their first year in college and are participating in summer internships.   Ten Scholars – five rising high school seniors at Amherst College, and five rising college first-years at the University of Chicago – are currently participating in Thrive’s Summer Academy, an intensive pre-college academic preparation program. Through the six-week residential program, participants receive over 350 hours of college-level instruction targeting math, writing, critical thinking skills, and social-emotional support.

“The Sisters of Charity Foundation is one of Northeast Ohio’s most progressive foundations when it comes to elevating the voice of residents in community building, and I’m proud to call them a partner,” said Dr. Steven M. Lake, executive director of Thrive Scholars – Cleveland. “This partnership will further Thrive’s capacity to reach more deserving young people from across the city and hopefully in Central. By creating pathways for economic and social mobility for historically marginalized youth in high-impact fields like engineering and technology, science and medicine, law, finance, and consulting, we are also changing the face of what the future leadership of Cleveland will look like. This is an exciting opportunity for the region, and I look forward to working with our partners to realize this important mission.”

Thrive Scholars is in its 20th year of operation.  Founded in Los Angeles and now serving students across the country, Thrive expanded to Cleveland in 2020. The growing non-profit also supports Scholars in Boston, Chicago, and New York City and has plans to expand to two new sites each year.  Currently, 900 Scholars nationally are participating in the six-year program, from 11th grade through college seniors. Thrive continues to achieve sector-leading outcomes, boasting a 98% college graduation rate among its Scholars nationally.

About Thrive Scholars

Thrive Scholars’ goal is to see high-achieving students of color develop the inter-generational wealth and financial security their more privileged peers take for granted and become the diverse corporate, civic, and academic leaders our country needs. The organization provides talented students from economically disadvantaged communities with the financial, academic, and social-emotional support they need to get into a top college, achieve academic success during college (with programs like Summer Academy), graduate from college, and pursue fulfilling jobs and careers. Thrive’s program impact is significant – more than 90% of Scholars attend a Top 100 College, over 40% go to Ivy League schools, and 98% graduate from college with better grades than all students – not just other students of color. Thrive offers a multi-stage, integrated program of support to ensure students get into the top colleges in the country and thrive during college and graduate to pursue fulfilling careers. For more information, visit www.thrivescholars.org.

About Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland

Since 1996, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland has partnered with residents, nonprofits and community leaders to change the trajectory of poverty in Cuyahoga County. Its $80 million endowment includes the first health care conversion foundation and first foundation formed by a congregation of Catholic sisters in the United States. The Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is a ministry of the Sisters of Charity Health System – a family of Catholic health care, grantmaking and outreach ministries healing individuals, families and communities in Ohio and South Carolina.