Polytechnic Foundation Grant

Earlier this month, Polytechnic Global Scholars and Partnership for Success! students from the Pasadena Unified School District presented grant proposals aimed at assisting local and global nonprofit organizations. The presentation was a culmination of months of hard work in collaboration with our advancement mentors and nonprofits. The process entailed studying the goals, fiscals needs, and community impact of our nonprofits as well as learning how to write and present a grant. 
I found the process to be invaluable because I had no prior experience with grant writing, and I now understand how entities can come together to utilize resources to promote worthy causes. My Global Scholar partner, Megan Kelleher, and I worked with our advancement mentor Katherine Veiser, Polytechnic’s Director of Alumni and Community Relations, Amanda Edwards, Polytechnic’s Director of Donor Relations, Siviwe Mbinda, co-founder and director iThuba, and Diane Flannery, an iTuba Board member. Below are two slides from our final presentation to support STEM education through iThuba Innovation Hub, a non-profit organization that provides enrichment and high school preparatory programs to South African youth.
Our efforts were rewarded with a grant from the Poly Foundation for the full requested amount of  $10,997 which will fund a whole year of salary for iThuba’s Math and English teachers, transportation for students at night, food for students, materials, and potential educational excursions. This assistance will give this group of rising high-school students the final push toward a better future.
I am excited and looking forward to presenting this generous donation in person to the students and staff of iThuba Innovation Hub when I travel to Cape Town with Polytechnic Global Scholars next month!
 











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