Take Stock in Children Recipient of Prestigious $5M "Development" i3 Grant

We are very pleased to announce that Take Stock in Children has been chosen as one of 49 highest rated applicants for the US Dept of Education’s Investing in Innovation (i3) Grant. Nearly 1700 school districts, nonprofit education organizations and institutions of higher education applied in order to compete for a share of the $650 million in i3 Grants. In order for Take Stock in Children to be awarded the $5 million Development Grant, we must submit documentation for the required 20% private sector match by September 8th.

The purpose of the Investing in Innovation Fund is to support innovative programs with a record of improving student achievement and attainment. The grant award will allow Take Stock in Children to expand the implementation of innovative practices that have a proven record of improving student achievement and student growth, closing achievement gaps, decreasing dropout rates, increasing high school graduation rates, and increasing college enrollment and completion rates.

The proposal submitted, entitled FLIGHT (Facilitating Long-Term Improvements in Graduation and Higher Education for Tomorrow) met several of the i3 grant eligibility criteria and grant priorities as described in the original RFP. A summary of the project description can be found by accessing this link: http://data.ed.gov/grants/investing-in-innovation/applicant/15583

This grant award winning proposal could not have happened without the collaborative efforts of several parties, but special recognition must be given to Research Associates for their very well written proposal and Judy Saylor for her leadership on this project. More information to follow.

Take Stock in Children Students in Santa Rosa County Receive Scholarships, Mentors …. And Laptops!

Story By Carmen Paige, PNJ.com

Brandon Wigent, 18, received the surprise of his life when fellow teenagers Nathan and Nick Gupta of Gulf Breeze gifted him with a laptop computer.
"I really needed a computer, and I was so grateful," he said. "I couldn't do my homework at home because my computer was not updated, and had to stay after school in the computer lab. It was frustrating."

Brandon and 19 other Take Stock in Children Santa Rosa County graduates received laptops and software courtesy of the Gupta brothers, who kept the donation a secret.
"The students were really excited, and we were really excited to give the computers," said Nathan Gupta, 17. "We had been looking forward to giving the computers to them."
The brothers raised more than $15,000 to pay for the gifts.

"When we realized (the project) was going to come through with the support of the community, it was amazing," said Nick, 15. "It just made us realize the community is behind these kids."

Nathan and Nick are great people, said Brandon, who just graduated from Navarre High School and Pensacola Junior College under the dual enrollment program. He plans to become a photographer.

"This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen done," he said. The brothers and their parents, Dr. Sunil and Lisa Gupta, are supporters of Take Stock Santa Rosa. The family has provided college scholarships.

"Nathan and Nick know Take Stock will provide the students with the financial support to get to college," said their mother, Lisa Gupta. "But, the library and computer lab may not have long hours, so computers will not be accessible."

Lisa Gupta said her sons researched what computers would be best for college students and looked for the best value for the money they raised. They even developed pamphlets about Take Stock and the use of computers in a college student's academic success to hand out when making their pitch to individuals and groups. "They were out and about a lot, sometimes until 9 p.m.," said Lisa Gupta. "They also went to a lot of breakfast meetings, some starting at 6:30 a.m. So, they worked hard."

Santa Rosa has had a Take Stock program for 14 years. Scholarships, mentors and hope are provided for low-income youth in grades 6-9, who are chosen through an application process.

"We need more mentors in Pace, Milton and Navarre," said Angi Brown, program director. "Mentors meet with students once a week for 30 minutes during school hours."

With 20 graduates, this is the program's largest class, Brown said. There are 122 students in the program. "All the kids have scholarships purchased," she said. "But, we are trying to raise $140,000 next year (to add more students)."

What the Gupta brothers have done is phenomenal, Brown said. "I knew they were doing this project, and it was hard to keep quiet about it," she said. "The closer they got to the actual moment of unveiling, the more I got pumped up."

Nathan and Nick are students in the Pensacola High School International Baccalaureate program, which has a rigorous curriculum. They are at the University of Maryland this week because their exhibit on muckraking journalism is in the National History Day contest.("We don't have too much free time," said Nathan. "We put in a lot of time studying."(After listening to the brothers talk about their research and enthusiasm for helping out, Michael and Jo-Ann Price of Gulf Breeze made a donation. She is a Take Stock mentor and the Price Family Private Foundation has given scholarships.

"Seeing young men this age get excited about helping other kids have the tools for success, I had to be a part of it," she said. The brothers have shown that youths can get involved, Jo-Ann Price said.

"These boys are the best of what this community has to offer," she said. "They saw the need for the students to head off to college with a computer, which is a necessary tool."

Nathan and Nick are making plans to raise money to give laptops next year to Take Stock's 30 graduates. "We realize how much we use our computers every day, and going off to college without a computer is pretty tough," said Nick. "It has been inspiring to us to give the computers with the community's support, and we want to continue."