15 KIPP Students Selected for the 2020 Dave Goldberg Scholarship

Scholarship provides financial assistance to students through pandemic

 

 New York, NY – May 1, 2020 – Today the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP) Foundation and the Sheryl Sandberg and Dave Goldberg Family Foundation (SGFF) announced the 2020 recipients of the Dave Goldberg Scholarship. These 15 high school seniors were selected from hundreds of applicants and will join the 45 students already in the program.

“Dave was a huge believer in education, a generous mentor, and the center of a big-hearted community. We created this program to extend his legacy and nothing would have made him prouder,” said Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and founder of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org. “These students share Dave’s best qualities – and we know they’ll go on to do great things for their communities and the world. We’re honored to partner with KIPP for a third year to ensure these talented students can make the most of every opportunity that comes their way.”

All 15 students in the 2020 cohort of Goldberg Scholars will receive a unique combination of financial support and mentorship during their four-year college experience. Highlights include:

• A “Goldberg Mentor” to provide advice and support on a regular basis throughout college

• Critical financial support totaling approximately $15,000 a year to cover a range of non-tuition needs not traditionally covered by college-based financial aid
• Support from “Goldberg Connectors” – a network of professionals who will help scholars secure summer internships and job opportunities

“The Goldberg Scholarship program has already proven to be a game changer. Today, in a world in which our students and families face even greater uncertainty and financial hardship, the Goldberg scholarship provides the financial supports and mentoring from successful professionals that will prove to be a life changer,” said Richard Barth, CEO of the KIPP Foundation.

The Goldberg Scholarship Program was established by SGFF in October 2017 to support graduating high school seniors from KIPP schools across the country who have demonstrated remarkable leadership and achievement. The scholarship honors the legacy of Dave Goldberg by supporting a new generation of leaders who have demonstrated Dave’s qualities of leadership, resilience, achievement, generosity, kindness, independent thinking and entrepreneurial spirit.

“Dave believed that people have the power to change their lives not only to better themselves but to help those around them,” said Rob Goldberg, Dave’s brother and Founder and CEO of Fresno. “He believed that if everyone was given an opportunity to do so, it could make the world a better place. It means so much to our family that Dave’s legacy is helping to improve the lives of these students. It’s an honor to be part of their journeys and to help empower them to become the next generation of leaders who will impact those around them.”

SGFF partnered with the KIPP network of public charter schools because KIPP has a proven track record of helping students from educationally underserved communities develop the knowledge, skills, and character strengths necessary to succeed in college and life. KIPP currently operates 242 public charter schools educating over 100,000 students across 20 states and the District of Columbia. KIPP students graduate from four-year colleges at a rate that is above the national average for all students and approximately four times the average for students from similar economic backgrounds nationwide.

KIPP college counselors stay in touch with their graduates through college and early into their careers. Two recent surveys of KIPP alumni in college showed that both financial and social support are critical for students to succeed and graduate. In 2016, KIPP alumni reported that they experienced financial challenges beyond tuition expenses and had limited access to career-relevant internships. In 2017, the KIPP alumni survey showed connections between students’ sense of belonging and their mental health in college. The Dave Goldberg Scholarship was designed with this research in mind.

The 15 recipients of the Goldberg Scholarship have attended KIPP schools in eight communities around the country: Baltimore, San Francisco Bay Area, Arkansas, Massachusetts, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and Texas. Many will be the first in their families to attend college. Any student who attended a KIPP school for middle school or high school and earned above a 3.0 GPA was eligible to apply.

 About the Sheryl Sandberg and Dave Goldberg Foundation

The Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation works to build a more equal and resilient world. SGFF brings people together to support each other through three key initiatives: LeanIn.Org, OptionB.Org, and the Dave Goldberg Scholarship Program.

 About KIPP

KIPP, the Knowledge Is Power Program, is a national network of 242 public charter schools that are dedicated to preparing students in educationally underserved communities for success in college and life. KIPP schools are ​part of the free public school system and enrollment is open to all students. Started in 1994 as a middle school program, KIPP has since expanded to enroll students in all grades from pre-K through high school.