Launches Partnership with CollegeBound Foundation and Morgan State
University
The Travelers Companies, Inc., (NYSE: TRV)
today officially announced its partnership with the CollegeBound
Foundation as part of Travelers EDGE: Empowering Dreams for Graduation
and Employment, a program designed to remove the barriers to college
that many low-income, first generation students face, especially in
Baltimore City.
One of the top 50 largest school districts throughout the country,
Baltimore City High School reported graduation rates in 2007-2008 (62.6
percent) were the highest they have been in 10 years. However, to help
bridge the gap from high school to college and to further enhance the
success of students in the Baltimore community, Travelers has partnered
with CollegeBound to support the organization’s “Pipeline from High
School to College to Work” program. Specifically, Travelers has provided
a $350,000 grant to aid the following initiatives:
-
Travelers Scholars – Up to 12 Last Dollar Scholarships to
CollegeBound students who choose to continue their education at Morgan
State University, a Travelers EDGE partner college. The scholarships
will provide five years of support at the $5,000 level.
-
College Retention Program – This five-year program will help to
improve CollegeBound students’ college graduation rate from 40 percent
to 80 percent. The Harvard University Graduate School of Education has
initiated a longitudinal study to evaluate this project, to measure
the treatment effect of a comprehensive college retention program.
-
CollegeBound Scholar of the Week – For 2009 and 2010, Travelers
will sponsor weekly television promotions highlighting select
CollegeBound Scholars.
The partnership will increase the pool of qualified, diverse job
candidates, build awareness of available careers in insurance, and
encourage Baltimore students to attend Morgan State University.
“Through this collaborative partnership, we want to empower and provide
the needed resources to disadvantaged Baltimore students to further
their education and attend college,” said Jimmy Tadlock, Program
Director, CollegeBound Foundation.
