The Marin Community Foundation has announced grants totaling more than $6 million to nonprofit organizations working to help low-income students and students of color succeed academically.
The grants were awarded as part of the foundation's five-year commitment to closing the achievement gap in four Marin districts — San Rafael, Novato, Sausalito Marin City, and Shoreline. To help boost the number of low-income students and students of color who attend college, the foundation awarded approximately $3 million to enable them to participate in in after-school education and social programs and receive college scholarships, including those available through 10,000 Degrees, which received $1.8 million from MCF to provide scholarships to students with financial needs. The college readiness efforts are designed to help students improve their study skills, prepare for tests, receive academic counseling, develop leadership skills, and learn about the college admissions and selection process.
The grants include more than $2 million to early education programs that have achieved success by involving families, enhancing teacher training, ensuring smooth transitions between grades, and using data to identify the specific needs of each student. In addition, $1 million was awarded to schools in the Novato, San Rafael, and Sausalito Marin City districts to improve student achievement through school transformation initiatives designed to strengthen school leadership, encourage greater collaboration among teachers, involve parents, undertake more rigorous assessment of student performance, and establish school cultures that set high expectations for students.
"So often, students fall through the cracks because they don't get the extra help with their studies that can make the difference between dropping out and thriving," said MCF president and CEO Thomas Peters. "This is a missed opportunity for these students, their families, and the community as a whole, so we're determined to help fill that void."
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