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ScholarCHIPS is a DC-area non-profit that provides college scholarships, mentoring, mental health supports, and a peer support network to college-bound young adults with incarcerated parents, inspiring them to complete their college education. Their goal is to empower youth with incarcerated parents to graduate college, establish upwardly mobile careers, and contribute to their communities.  

 

In addition to one-on-one mentoring, college life skills/professional development workshops, exposure to arts and culture, and community service opportunities, ScholarCHIPS provides renewable $3,500 scholarships and $1,000 book awards to help ensure scholars graduate from college. 

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ScholarCHIPS targets high school seniors from Washington DC, Montgomery County, Prince George's County, Fairfax County, Arlington County, City of Alexandria, and the City of Falls Church. Many recipients are the first in their families to attend or complete college. There is a strong emphasis on demonstrating a commitment to the community. 

 

ScholarCHIPS has served 88 scholars since 2012, now with 39 college graduates. Scholars have attended a wide variety of colleges and universities, with most earning Bachelor’s. The majority of ScholarCHIPS scholars pursue advanced degrees as a pathway into professional career fields, including but not limited to education, medicine, law, social work, speech pathology, counseling, and film production. 

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In 2023, ScholarCHIPS was featured as a CNN Hero. In 2019, ScholarCHIPS was selected as a Spur Local (formerly the Catalogue for Philanthropy) partner (a 4-year partnership from 2019-2023), which establishes the organization in the Greater Washington Region as “one of the best and most critical and trusted” local nonprofits from 2019-22. ScholarCHIPS was recently selected for a second time as a Spur Local Partner from 2023-2027. In addition, ScholarCHIPS was selected as a Fair Chance Pathways partner in 2019. Fair Chance is DC's premier capacity-building organization for local, mission-driven, grass-roots nonprofits. 

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With the support of an $11,000 grant from Giving Together, in 2021, ScholarCHIPS launched its Mental Health & Wellness Program, which provides counseling and therapy support to scholars in need, such as providing referral lists to local therapists, covering co-pays or the cost of therapy sessions and offering mental health webinars on topics including such as Grief, Resilience, Having an Incarcerated Parent, Self-Image and Building Healthy, Self-Esteem and Navigating College.

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For ways to get involved, contact GT Liaison Harriet Shugerman (hshugerman08@gmail.com)

[updated July 2023]  

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