Calvin Given $450,000 for Two Programs

January 15, 2004 == MEDIA ADVISORY

The new year is off to a good start for Calvin College's Pathways to
Possibilities (P2P) program and its Entrada Scholars Program thanks to two
large grants.

The school has just received a $250,000 grant (over two years) from the the
Maryland-based VanLunen Foundation and a $200,000 grant (over four years) from
the locally based Meijer Foundation.

The two pledges will infuse Pathways and Entrada with $450,000 over the coming
years.

Rhae Ann Booker, director of pre-college programs at Calvin, says the gifts
are critical.

"They basically will allow for the continuation of Pathways and Entrada," she
says. "Both of these Calvin initiatives have successfully led to the college
enrollment of minority youth and youth who live in urban communities. For
Pathways, 2004 marks the start of our eighth year. Longevity is important for
college-community partnerships and this funding greatly assists Calvin in
working with urban communities for the long-haul."

Pathways to Possibilities works closely with West Michigan with youth in
grades four to twelve and especially targets those who live in the inner-cities
of Grand Rapids, Muskegon and Holland, helping them to think seriously about
education and especially to consider college as a possibility within their
grasp rather than a distant dream.

The Entrada Scholars Program brings high school juniors and seniors of color
to Calvin from around the continent for an intensive three-week college program
that lets them take a first-year college course for credit, a powerful
incentive to enroll and excel in college. It has had strong success in terms
of getting high schools students to move on to college with a 96% success rate,
something both Meijer and VanLunen resonated with in deciding to make their
gifts.

"Calvin's Pathways to Possibilities program has a good track record of
inspiring young people to set their sights on college," says Meijer
vice-president Brian Breslin. "And that goal - getting and keeping young
people excited about education - is something Meijer believes strongly in as
well. The (Pathways) program works. But it needs financial support to
continue. This gift from Meijer to Calvin was a natural partnership as
together we work to encourage young people in West Michigan."

Jim Achterhof, managing director of the VanLunen Foundation, echoes Breslin.
"Our Foundation," he says, "is interested in urban and minority projects and
our emphasis is Christian education. Pathways has done a great job in these
areas. And we want to make sure that good programs, like Pathways, that can be
a model to others can suceed."

NOTE TO MEDIA: Calvin's Pathways to Possibilties program will sponsor "A Call
to Action: MLK Young Leaders Weekend" from January 16-18, bringing 50 local
high school students to campus to live in the Calvin residence halls during the
weekend of events. Among the activities will be group games to teach
team-building and cooperation; seminars on such topics as civil rights history;
workshops on social justice, leadership and civic responsibility; a
service-learning, volunteer experience; Sunday-morning worship at Tabernacle
Community Church; and a closing ceremony that will include parents. That
program is being sponsored by Bank One.

Contact Booker at 616-526-6749

-end-
Received on Wed Jan 14 14:06:22 2004