15 KIPP Students Selected for the 2019 Dave Goldberg Scholarship
Palo Alto, CA – May 1, 2019 — Today, KIPP and the Sheryl Sandberg and Dave Goldberg Family Foundation (SGFF) announced the 2019 recipients of the Dave Goldberg Scholarship. These 15 high school seniors were selected from nearly 300 applicants, and will join the 30 students from the inaugural Class of 2018.
The Goldberg Scholarship Program was established by SGFF in October 2017 to support graduating high school seniors from KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) 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 embody Dave’s qualities of leadership, resilience, achievement, generosity, kindness, independent thinking and entrepreneurial spirit.
All 15 students in the 2019 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.
- 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.
- An annual “Leadership Weekend,” where scholars will build skills to prepare for college and meet leaders in their chosen fields.
The 15 recipients of the Goldberg Scholarship have attended KIPP schools in eight communities: Austin, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, New York City, San Antonio, San Francisco, and Tulsa. All recipients are students of color. 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.
“Dave believed in the power of community, the importance of kindness, and above all, that every child deserves a quality education. This program reflects those beliefs, and our family is truly honored to partner with KIPP to support these remarkable students,” said Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook COO and founder of LeanIn.Org and OptionB.Org.“We can’t think of a better way to honor Dave’s memory than by giving students who share his best qualities the opportunities he believed they deserved.”
“The Goldberg Scholarship program is an incredible opportunity for our KIPP students,” said Richard Barth, CEO of the KIPP Foundation. “These young future leaders have worked tremendously hard and we are so proud that they will receive the support they need to change the world for generations to come.”
SGFF selected the national KIPP network of public charter schools as its partner for the Dave Goldberg Scholarship Program due to KIPP’s 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 224 public charter schools educating nearly 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 three times the average for students from similar economic backgrounds nationwide.
“The newest class of Goldberg Scholars is incredibly impressive. They will become our future leaders—and carry forward the legacy of Dave’s life and this program,” said Rob Goldberg, Dave’s brother and Founder and CEO of Fresno.“This scholarship honors his passion for how new ideas can improve people’s lives—and how we’re all in this together—in a way that would have made him really proud.”’
KIPP college counselors stay in touch with their graduates through college and into alumni’s early 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.
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 224 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 preK through high school.