Investing in Kids (INK!) is accepting applications for the Take Stock in Children St. Johns County scholarship and mentoring program.
Families of current eighth- and ninth-grade public school students who meet the program criteria can apply online at apply.ink-stjohns.org by Monday, March 11. INK! has 30 scholarship opportunities to award to qualifying eighth and ninth graders.
Take Stock in Children is a statewide nonprofit organization established in 1995 to offer high-potential, low-income underrepresented students the resources needed to graduate from high school, complete post-secondary education and succeed in career and life. The Take Stock St. Johns program offers students an opportunity to earn a college or technical school scholarship, mentorship throughout high school and a comprehensive support system to help students attain higher learning and succeed in career and life.
Since 1998, INK! has been the exclusive umbrella agency for the program in St. Johns County.
Students accepted into the Take Stock program agree to maintain a 2.5 GPA, stay in high school through graduation and remain drug and crime free. Each student is paired with a volunteer mentor who offers support, guidance and encouragement throughout the student’s high school years. Students and mentors meet regularly during the school year.
Upon graduation and successful completion of the Take Stock program, a student will earn a scholarship equal to two years (60 credit hours) at a Florida state college or post-secondary technical school, worth approximately $6,500.
To date, more than 41,850 students throughout Florida have earned a scholarship through the Take Stock in Children program. Since 2007, more than 98% of Take Stock St. Johns County students have enrolled in a post-secondary institution in the fall semester following high school graduation.
Interested families of eighth- and ninth-grade students can submit applications online at apply.ink-stjohns.org or by paper copy to INK!, or through public school guidance counselors by the March 11 deadline. For more information or to request a paper application, contact Jim Wheeler, INK!’s director of operations and students programs, at 904-547-7121 or email James.Wheeler@stjohns.k12.fl.us or go to takestockinchildrensjc.org.
Take Stock in Children Inc. is a nonprofit mentoring, college success and college scholarship organization dedicated to transforming Florida one student at a time. The mission is to break the cycle of poverty for low-income, underrepresented, academically qualified students by providing opportunities for degree attainment through post-secondary education.
The organization provides wraparound services to students through an innovative multi-year model from middle through post-secondary school completion. For more information, go to takestockinchildren.org.
The St. Johns County Education Foundation Inc., which operates as Investing in Kids (INK!), promotes success for all St. Johns County public school students and teachers by providing innovative programs, teacher support, classroom resources and scholarships to benefit more than 52,000 students and approximately 3,200 teachers.
INK! is a 501(c)3 education foundation with offices located at 1 Christopher St. in St. Augustine. For more information, contact Cathy Newman at catherine.newman@stjohns.k12.fl.us or 904-547-7120 or go to ink-stjohns.org.
