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Determined to SUCCEED 2016 Annual Report JULY 1, 2015 - JUNE 30, 2016 MISSION: Central Scholarship is devoted to helping individuals achieve a better life through higher education. We believe that education is a right, not a privilege and that scholarships are an investment, not an expense. COVER STORY: FOUR EXTRAORDINARY LIVES Our cover page features the photographs of four extraordinary people whose stories illustrate the mission of Central Scholarship. Lillie Straus, Cyndicy Yarborough, Nikki McNeil and Samuel Witten never met each other, but each one shares in an important slice of our mission. Lillie was the first Vice-Chairperson of Central Scholarship. Her appreciation for education continues today through scholarship awards from the Aaron and Lillie Straus Foundation. Samuel Witten and his late father Benjamin Witten, represent two generations of recipients whose educations were made possible through interest-free loans from Central Scholarship. Nikki and Cyndicy are two more recent student recipients whose lives have been brightened by academic and career training scholarships. Nikki is a community organizer, helping people living in Baltimore City. Cyndicy is a successful career training graduate with aspirations to continue her studies and advance her career. Together, these four unique people reflect our enduring mission to provide educational opportunities to people. Cover photos: Lillie Straus: Jewish Museum of Maryland “ I Got the Job!”: Jane Addams Resource Center Dear Friends, The bill passed! We have exciting news, hot off the press, as we prepare to go to print with this year’s annual report. On April 18, 2017, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed into law a bill that restricts scholarship award displacement at four-year public colleges and universities. This is the first law of its kind in the nation! The new law protects students at Maryland’s public universities by regulating when and how institutional scholarships are adjusted when students receive private scholarships. This law is a cost-free solution that supports the efforts of industrious students and upholds the intent of private scholarship donors. This practice hurts students who devote their time to finding, applying and winning private scholarships, only to learn at the end of the process that they are no closer to being able to afford college. We are excited to be at the forefront of what we hope will be a nationwide movement to restrict this unfair practice. In addition to our successful advocacy work, our scholarship program continues to expand. This year, we awarded $1 million in scholarships and interest-free loans. These awards were made to 292 students who went through a vigorous and competitive process. More than half of our awardees had family incomes of $50,000 or less; and first-generation students accounted for 33% of our recipients. In our vocational work, we awarded funds to 58 individuals, 90% of whom had family incomes of less than $20,000. Central Scholarship is keeping the education doors open for low- and modest- income families. Our recipients are smart, hardworking, talented, and focused on their futures. It is an honor to know them. Of course, our work would not be possible without the generous support of scholarship funders, individual donors and vocational grantors. This year, we awarded 64 donor- named scholarship awards, including two newly-established funds. We are grateful to all of our donors who have created a legacy of supporting educational achievement. Thank you to our board, staff, volunteers, and most especially our students for their respect of the power of education. Sincerely, Jan Moylan Wagner President Lillie Meyer Straus: Central Scholarship’s First Vice-Chairperson Lillie Meyer was born on October 27, 1871 in St. Louis, Missouri. She married Baltimore–born Aaron Straus on June 9, 1889. They were married for 64 years. Together, they devoted their lives to philanthropic causes, shaping the Jewish community and Baltimore City. In 1924, she worked with Moses Rothschild to establish the Central Scholarship Bureau with the remaining funds from the closing of the Hebrew Orphan Asylum. CSB’s original mission was to support the educational needs of orphaned Jewish boys. Moses was the first President and Lillie was the first Vice-President. Lillie’s work became a lifetime passion that shaped the lives of generations of Baltimoreans in the Jewish community and beyond. In 1950, the CSB Board accepted its first fund for African American students when Dr. Jonas Friedenwald set up a fund in memory of his mother “to aid negro girls who wished to pursue studies” through higher education. Two years later in 1952, CSB provided assistance to Lillie Straus was a leading the first African American students admitted to both the University Of philanthropist in Baltimore. Credit: Jewish Museum of Maryland Maryland School Of Medicine and the School of Pharmacy. Although she was involved with numerous charities in Baltimore, Central Scholarship Bureau held a special place in Lillie’s heart. She is remembered for shaping Central ALTHOUGH SHE WAS INVOLVED WITH NUMEROUS CHARITIES IN BALTIMORE, CENTRAL SCHOLARSHIP BUREAU HELD A SPECIAL PLACE Scholarship’s reputation as a IN LILLIE’S HEART. SHE IS REMEMBERED FOR SHAPING CENTRAL compassionate organization. It SCHOLARSHIP’S REPUTATION AS A COMPASSIONATE ORGANIZATION. has been said many times that if a student was denied a scholarship from CSB, Lillie would invite them to her apartment at the Belvedere, and write a personal check so that they could attend college. “Aunt Lillie” is credited with launching more than 750 careers through her support of Central Scholarship. Her vision remains alive through a lifetime commitment from the Aaron Straus and Lillie Straus Foundation Scholarship. 2 Impact Statement Who Do We Help? n Full or Partial Pell Grant Recipients: 81% n College Students with Family Income of Less than $50,000: 66% n Career Training Awardees with an Annual Income of Less than $20,000: 90% n Residency: • Baltimore City/County 60% • Other Central MD (Anne Arundel, Howard, Harford, Carroll) 14% • Montgomery County 12% • Prince George’s County 4% n Percentage of Recipients who are First Generation College Students: 33% What Do We Provide? n Total Amount of Money Awarded: $1,000,000 n Number of College Scholarships Awarded: 217 n Number of Interest-Free Loans Awarded: 75 n Career and Technology Education Scholarships: 58 What Do Our Students Accomplish? n Academic Achievement of Scholarship Recipients: Maintained a GPA of 3.5 or Above in College 65% n How Many Students Work While Attending College: 61% n Top Areas of Study: Education Nursing Social Work Biology 3 Central Scholarship partnered with Career Training the Jane Addams Resource Center (JARC), to address Scholarships barriers to employment. In 2016, Central Scholarship received an to support a group of Maryland residents extraordinary opportunity to address the pursuing training as welders or CNC (computer barriers to career training and employment. numeric controlled) machinists. JARC’s training David Rothschild, a Central Scholarship focuses on high paying jobs starting at $17.00 Board member, committed a major grant to per hour. Students who do not own a vehicle, address employment barriers that are often upon completing training and securing an not addressed through traditional grant-funded offer of employment, receive assistance from sources. Research indicated that transportation Central Scholarship to receive a car through was a major barrier to training and employment Vehicles for Change (VFC), a local nonprofit Scholarship beyond the boundaries of Baltimore City. organization. While the car award is pending, if Recipient Raeshanda Lack of car ownership and in adequate public the student was unable to commute to work via Johnson transportation limited the geographic reach of public transit, Central Scholarship provided the completed her Patient Care available jobs. Central Scholarship chose to work recipient route-controlled access to a company Technician certification. with the Jane Addams Resource Center (JARC), account with Uber. Recipients who do not meet a local affiliate of a Chicago-based nonprofit, VFC’s income criteria for car awards may receive awards of up to $2,500 toward the purchase STUDENTS WHO DO NOT OWN A VEHICLE, UPON COMPLETING of a car from a private seller. Recipients who TRAINING AND SECURING AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT, have cars, but whose cars are not road-worthy, RECEIVE ASSISTANCE FROM CENTRAL SCHOLARSHIP TO may receive awards of up to $2,500 to pay for RECEIVE A CAR THROUGH VEHICLES FOR CHANGE (VFC), necessary repairs, which will be completed by A LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. Full Circle Service Center, VFC’s repair shop. Positive changes created in this first partnership include: 27 TRAINEES; 21 TRAINEES WERE 4 TRAINEES RECEIVED 8 WOMEN AND 19 MEN APPROVED TO ASSISTANCE WITH MAJOR RECEIVED JOB TRAINING PURCHASE CARS CAR REPAIRS 6 TRAINEES RECEIVED ASSISTANCE 13 TRAINEES RECEIVED ASSISTANCE TO ATTEND DRIVING SCHOOL AND WITH FINANCIAL BARRIERS THAT WOULD OBTAIN A LEARNER’S PERMIT HAVE PREVENTED EMPLOYMENT Successful employment is measured in long-term impact. To evaluate this program, Central Scholarship is working with The Jacob France Institute at the University of Baltimore to create a longitudinal study of men and women supported through this special initiative. 4 “I Got The Job!” Cyndicy Yarborough, JARC graduate Cyndicy Yarborough is a success story. Through trials and hard work, Cyndicy’s story reflects the positive impact of career training. She grew up in a large family and struggled with many day-to- day issues associated with deep poverty. At the age of 19, Cyndicy had her first child, followed by three more children. She decided to start being responsible for her own actions. That’s when the philosophy she learned at STRIVE Baltimore helped her Cyndicy, middle, celebrates her first on a new path. STRIVE is a job training program of the local nonprofit job after completing training at JARC.

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