Four states awarded UPS National Venture Fund grants

UPS National Venture Fund Grants have been awarded to four state associations of private colleges by the Foundation for Independent Higher Education’s UPS National Venture Fund.  Associated Colleges in Illinois, Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania, Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges and the Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association received awards.

UPS National Venture Fund is a competitive grant program aimed at helping private college associations and their member institutions develop innovative and collaborative solutions to challenges facing private colleges.  It is funded by the UPS Educational Endowment Fund, which was created by UPS (United Parcel Service) and is managed by the Foundation for Independent Higher Education in Washington, D.C.  A panel of college presidents, corporate officers, and state associations executives make the selections in the ongoing program.

Associated Colleges of Illinois was awarded $ 50,000 for a “Science and Math Learning Collaborative.”  The project aims to address the shortage of teachers appropriately equipped in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.  Faculty members on five campuses will work collaboratively to transform the current teacher preparation curricula on their campuses.

Association of Independent Colleges and Universities in Pennsylvania, in cooperation with the SouthEastern Pennsylvania Consortium for Higher Education was awarded
$ 50,000 for a project entitled “Nurturing Scholars in the Humanities and Social Sciences.  The program will offer an intensive summer undergraduate research experience to sixteen students working with eight faculty members in the humanities and social sciences.

Georgia Foundation for Independent Colleges was awarded $ 25,000 for “The Outreach Project”, which builds on a project funded a year ago that aimed to improve college access for Georgia’s burgeoning Hispanic population.  This project will help private colleges develop specific tools and communication materials for working with Hispanics, and build partnerships with schools, teachers and community leaders.

Tennessee Independent Colleges and Universities Association was awarded $ 50,000 in support of an ongoing project, “Coalition on College Costs Savings” (CCCS).  CCCS is a purchasing consortium that uses collaborative contracting for services and supplies.  The Fund previously funded another $ 50,000 grant in support of the ongoing project.  Nice state associations of private colleges are already participating in the project.

The UPS National Venture Fund awarded its first grant in 1999.  Since that time, it has awarded ninety-six grants totally over $ 5 million.