Sun Life Financial is currently seeking applications for the Sun Life Rising Star Awards grant for a non-profit organization, along with a student the organization nominates for a scholarship.
The deadline to turn in the application is July 1 and can be done by visiting www.SunLifeStadium.com/RisingStar. Four organizations and the students they nominate will be chosen this year to receive a $50,000 grant and $5,000 scholarship.
In order to be considered for the Sun Life Rising Star Award grant, organizations must have a 501c3 tax exempt status, along with promoting skills in high school aged students and students up to 21 years old for academic success.
Kaitlin Jaquez, senior philanthropy program manager for Sun Life Financial, said Sun Life and the Miami Dolphins Foundation share a common commitment for youth education and non-profit organizations that work with high school aged youngsters to help them succeed.
She said that the Miami Dolphin Foundation and Sun Life have worked with the non-profit world for a long time and they feel strongly about supporting their mission. The non-profit organizations, Jaquez said, adds such a great value to the students’ life because of their after school, night and summer programs.
Some enhancements were made to the application this year. Jaquez said the changes were made so that the non-profit organizations can tell them how they partner with local schools at every level.
“We really want to know how their partnership benefits students,” she said, because the organizations “have to have a great partnership with schools in order to help students really succeed academically and prepare for college.”
The first year of the Sun Life Rising Star Awards attracted 75 applications from the Southwest Florida area last year.
“We are looking to increase that this year,” Jaquez said.
Another enhancement to the application process involves the student who the organization nominates. The students must now write a 750-word essay that explains what financial help means to them or their education. The student is involved in the award because they wanted to validate the organization by recognizing one of the students they work with.
“We really felt that there are such exceptional students that are overcoming tremendous odds and are staying committed to school with their help,” she said about the organizations.
A recipient of last year’s $50,000 grant was the Boys and Girls Club of Lee County.
Director of Development and Resources Garrett Rasmussen said the grant the club received was used to support its education and career development program.
The three specific areas that the Sun Life grant funded were the “Power Hour,” “Goals for Graduation” and “Money Matters.”
Rasmussen said the “Power Hour” is a homework assistance program that all members participate in daily as they arrive at the club after school.
The “Goals for Graduation Program,” he said, assists middle school and high school members in setting goals for their future, which encourages graduation and post secondary education. The program also includes college visits, career exploration, guest speakers and SAT/ACT test training.
The “Money Matters” program teaches 13 to 18-year-olds financial responsibility and independence by learning how to manage a checking account, develop a budget, save and invest, start a small business and paying for college. The interactive web-based program, Rasmussen said, engages members through games and activities that contain practical lessons on how to balance a checkbook and invest for retirement.
“Funding such a program supports our overall mission to help disadvantaged youth achieve their goals and become productive citizens,” he said. “These three programs teach youth the importance of education and give them the tools to succeed in school.”
Rasmussen said the need for their services are increasing due to new sites being opened in Lehigh and Fort Myers in early 2012. He said they hope to be able to fund a program in Cape Coral in the near future due to the volume of calls they receive.
The student that Rasmussen nominated from the Boys and Girls Club attends Cape Coral High School, along with the club.
Kou Sua, who received the $5,000 college scholarship, has been accepted to Stetson University where she plans to study law.
“She has been an inspiration to the other youth at the Barrett Park Unit,” Rasmussen said. “She has taught them they can achieve anything if they put in the work.”