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New Funding Puts the Level Playing Field Institute on Road to Bringing 50% More Students of Color into Its IDEAL Scholars Program

New Funding Puts the Level Playing Field Institute on Road to Bringing 50% More Students of Color into Its IDEAL Scholars Program

Published 12-05-06

Submitted by Level Playing Field Institute, The

SAN FRANCISCO, CA, December 5, 2006 - The Level Playing Field Institute today announced it has received a $100,000 grant from The Education Financing Foundation of California (TEFFC) to support their efforts helping low-income students of color excel in college.

The grant will help put the Level Playing Field Institute on the way to reaching its $2 Million Funding Challenge, which aims to bring 50% more students into the Initiative for Diversity in Education and Leadership Scholars Program (IDEAL) by 2010. IDEAL enables exemplary, underrepresented students to maximize their educational, service and career opportunities. Support is valued at approximately $15,000 per student per year, and provides funding for renewable scholarships, summer internship placements, an annual leadership retreat, a computer loan program, tutors and mentoring.

According to TEFFC president Caroline O. Boitano, "TEFFC is thrilled to support the Level Playing Field Institute's work in connecting bright and talented young people to the educational resources they need to be competitive in today's global market."

Currently 50 students are enrolled in the IDEAL program, which usually admits just 10 new students each year. Reaching the $2 million funding goal will allow 15 new students to participate each year. By the end of the five-year effort to attain the funding goal, 120 students, including past and current participants, will have become IDEAL scholars, with the Level Playing Field Institute supporting over 13,000 semester units of college education.

Started with a $1 million grant from Mitch Kapor, founder of the Open Source Applications Foundation, the $2 Million Funding Challenge seeks another $1 million in total donor dollars to match Kapor's grant over the next three years. The grant from TEFFC is the largest single donation applied to the Challenge to date, with additional funding coming from individual donors.

"At the Level Playing Field Institute we focus on bringing fairness to the community - from the classroom to the boardroom - and IDEAL is our major college-level endeavor," said Cedric Brown, director of Higher Education Programs at the Level Playing Field Institute. "We are grateful to TEFFC for their generous donation, and hopeful that others follow their lead in helping us meet our $2 Million Challenge to expand IDEAL's reach."

About The Education Financing Foundation of California

The Education Financing Foundation of California helps qualified students in California who have financial need attend college. As the largest grant making organization of its kind in California, TEFFC funds community-based organizations that help students pay for and enter institutions of higher learning.

About The Level Playing Field Institute

Founded in 2001 by Dr. Freada Kapor Klein, the Level Playing Field Institute promotes innovative approaches to fairness in higher education and the workplace by removing barriers to full participation. The organization's programs aim to expose and break down hidden barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential. Its vision is that all students, regardless of socio-economic status, will have opportunities to apply to and graduate from top colleges and universities, resulting in communities and workplaces that benefit from well-prepared, competitive leaders representing broad perspectives and sectors of society. For more information, visit www.lpfi.org.

Level Playing Field Institute, The logo

Level Playing Field Institute, The

Level Playing Field Institute, The

Founded in 2001 by Dr. Freada Kapor Klein, the Level Playing Field Institute promotes innovative approaches to fairness in higher education and the workplace by removing barriers to full participation. The organizationé¢Â€™s programs aim to expose and break down hidden barriers that prevent individuals from reaching their full potential. Its vision is that all students, regardless of socio-economic status, will have opportunities to apply to and graduate from top colleges and universities, resulting in communities and workplaces that benefit from well-prepared, competitive leaders representing broad perspectives and sectors of society.

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