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Education Success
At the heart of improving the quality of life for those in our region is creating strong educational programs and opportunities. From early literacy to college scholarships and services to ongoing professional development, the need is extensive.
Here are highlights from 2021:
ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP RECEPTIONS
In May, we held a virtual awards reception for the Jacobs Family New Bedford High Schools Scholarships which awarded $175,000 to five New Bedford students: Addylene Darosa Semedo, Annie Lin, and Linh Dan Nguyen from New Bedford High School; Jocelyn Kingman from Global Learning Charter Public School, and Moriah Markman from Greater New Bedford Regional Vocational Technical High School.
In July, local students gathered at the Buttonwood Park Zoo for the SouthCoast Community Foundation scholarship reception to receive their awards totaling $547,255. Eighty-four recipients were chosen from a pool of more than 600 high school seniors and college students from throughout the region, representing 24 different educational institutions.
GEORGE C. DECAS SCHOLARSHIP FUND
William C. Decas established a new scholarship fund in memory of his late brother, Attorney George C. Decas. The George C. Decas Scholarship Fund will provide awards to graduating high school seniors residing in Wareham, Massachusetts. Awards of $20,000 will be made annually starting in 2022 during the Community Foundation scholarship season and can support recipients over four years. This new fund joins an additional Decas fund with the Community Foundation, the Georgia and Constantine Decas Family Scholarship Fund, established by William and his sister, Katharina Decas, in 2020. The Decas family is an exemplary model of what it means to give back and we are humbled to help them with their philanthropic goals in supporting the educational dreams of Wareham students.
“George, sister Katharina, and I were all raised and educated in Wareham. We were fortunate that our parents could afford to send us to college, but we know that many are not in the same position. We are so pleased to have the help of the Community Foundation to honor our parents and our late brother George in this way, providing well-earned financial support to the youth of Wareham.”
WILLIAM DECAS
ADVANCING EQUITABLE OUTCOMES
In preparation for the 2022 Scholarship season, the Community Foundation spent the remainder of the year evaluating the scholarship application process to meet donor intentions while advancing equitable outcomes for the region’s students across multiple dimensions of difference; specifically, race, ethnicity, and gender. We look forward to sharing with you the results of these improvements in next year’s report.
EARLY EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE
Across the South Coast region, there are approximately 50,000 children under the age of five but only 20,000 child care slots, translating roughly into 2.5 children for every slot. This lags the state, with two children for every slot. Scarcity is only one aspect of a multilayered issue plaguing the early education and child care system and only one example of how the South Coast region is trailing the state. To deepen the Community Foundation’s understanding of the topic it took several steps in 2021 toward making early education and child care a significant focus for the organization.
We participated in two-panel discussions, the One SouthCoast Chamber Early Childhood Education Summit, and the newly formed MA Early Childhood Funders Collaborative. In addition, we commissioned a report produced in partnership with the Center for State Policy Analysis at Tufts University. The Expanding Early Education and Child Care Opportunities (EECCO) report provides a rigorous assessment of the Community Foundation catchment area using the best available data and supplemented by 21 interviews with regional experts and thought leaders. The report is available in three languages and can be found on our website.
DONOR STORY: Nancy and Jack Braitmayer Fund for Innovative Educational Excellence
SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS
ERIC BRAITMAYER
Eric Braitmayer grew up appreciating the power of philanthropy. His parents, Nancy and Jack, raised him and his two sisters in a culture of giving back. They are incredibly active in the community, volunteering and providing funding for local educational institutions, initiatives, and school supplies through their personal giving and on a national level through their family foundation. His parents continue to this day to be an inspiration.
“I’ve always admired my parents’ generosity and their life-long dedication to improving educational outcomes,” reflected Eric. “While they are still alive to appreciate its impact, I wanted to create a fund with an education focus in their honor. However, I didn’t want the heavy administrative lift that is required in a private foundation.” Eric chose the Community Foundation for this reason but also because he felt the Foundation is “an essential asset to the South Coast community at large and a driving force behind issues I care about. Also, partnering with the Community Foundation means I don’t have to worry which direction future generations might take the fund. Their stewardship will be long lasting.” Recognizing his good fortune of quality education and the opportunities that came with it, Eric wanted to find a way to help others who do not have the same access or support. Initially, Eric discussed setting up a traditional, tuition-focused scholarship that we were happy to create. However, through our consultation, he became aware of other needs like college and career mentoring, academic tutoring, and financial management training to help individuals finish college and transition into a productive career. Eric was immediately drawn to the issue and wanted our help to address it. As a result, Eric shifted the fund’s focus from tuition to services that support student success by meeting basic needs and teaching life skills. Commenting on the experience, he said, “the Community Foundation listened to what I wanted to do, shared with me what is happening in the community, and together we came to a powerful solution. I would have missed this pressing need had the Community Foundation done what I asked, no questions asked.”
