SEEDS
Scholarship for Education and Economic Diversity of Salt Lake City
Maximize educational opportunity for low-income children in the Salt Lake Valley by offering scholarships and promoting a diverse and competitive educational environment
SEEDS is a privately funded scholarship program whose mission is to broaden educational opportunities of low-income children living in the Salt Lake Valley by offering educational options normally denied them because of costs. The SEEDS scholarship program began in 2008 as a partnership between the Guadalupe and McGillis schools, with four Guadalupe School students receiving full scholarships to attend the 4th through 8th grades at McGillis.
SEEDS grew out of the McGillis School's mission to teach children to give to others, so children of all backgrounds can learn to work together and contribute to society; and to achieve their full potential by encouraging their pursuit of both their individuality and their appreciation of diversity. In addition to the individual students' growth, we believe that the larger McGillis, Guadalupe and Salt Lake Valley community benefit from the sharing of diverse backgrounds.
Tuition Assistance and Scholarships
Tuition assistance and scholarships are traditionally reserved for students at the college level, but often scholarships to secondary schools are of no help to children who are under-educated early in their academic careers. The SEEDS program sprang from the recognition that quality education can break the cycle of poverty and that the early years are crucial to building the foundation of a child's education.
Currently, the SEEDS scholarship is for students from Guadalupe, a school that provides economically disadvantaged children educational services from birth through fourth grade. The scholarships are for selected students to attend McGillis, an independent nonprofit school whose small class sizes, individualized attention to student needs and learning styles, create a learning environment in which students from many different backgrounds succeed and achieve their optimum performance. It is a school environment that builds on the learning philosophy of the Guadalupe School.
Each year, two additional students are offered a full scholarship to attend McGillis through the 8th grade. Prior to completion of the 8th grade, efforts will be made to help transition the students into local high schools and obtain financial assistance at these schools, if needed. In 2012, we anticipate twelve students will be attending McGills on a SEEDS scholarship. In the coming years, we expect to expand SEEDS beyond the Guadalupe-McGillis partnership to offer scholarships to economically disadvantaged children throughout the Salt Lake Valley.
Scholarship Qualifications
To qualify for a SEEDS scholarship, students must demonstrate their ability to succeed at McGillis by undergoing the same admission assessment as other potential students. Parent involvement is key to the success of this partnership. Targeted outreach and support developed in coordination with the McGillis School Parent Association help the students and families become part of the larger school community. As with all new in-coming students, parents are assigned a "mentor" family to assist with the transition. Attention is given to any language barriers that may exist by matching mentors who speak the parent's primary language. Additionally, funds are made available to support student involvement in school trips and extracurricular activities such as soccer, chess, and science programs.
Funding
The SEEDS scholarship includes tuition, lunch and activity fees. The forecasted cost for a student to attend 4th through 8th grades at The McGillis School is approximately $60,000. McGillis is committed to on-going support of this scholarship program. In addition the SEEDS scholarship received generous contributions from the Bamberger Foundation, the Wagner Foundation, SOMOS, the R. Harold Burton Foundation, the Wells Fargo Community Support Foundation, and individuals and corporations.
How Can You Help?
The SEEDS program is like a spring day, when the air is fresh and full of promise. It offers an opportunity for a child to reach and realize their full potential. Join us on their important and potentially life changing journey.
- Garden
$25,000 or more - Flowers
$10,000-$24,999 - Leaves
$5,000-$9,999 - Stems
$1,000-$4,999 - Seedlings
$500-$999 - Roots
$25-$499
