February 1, 2016 Mr. Torrey Rush Mr. Jim Manning Council Chairman Council Member Richland County Richland County 2020 Hampton Street 2020 Hampton Street Columbia, SC 29201 Columbia, SC 29201 Re: Discretionary Grant Fund Review Committee Dear Chairman Rush and Councilman Manning: At Columbia College, we’re on a mission: to change the leadership landscape for young women in South Carolina and to inspire young women to become economically independent. We believe that changing girls’ ideas about and aspirations toward leadership will change the face of leadership in our region, in our state, in our country, and across the globe. Meanwhile, we can impact our state’s indicators of limited status of girls and women. On behalf of Columbia College and the Board of Trustees, thank you for your continued support and for the opportunity to submit a proposal for renewed funding from Richland County’s Discretionary Grant Fund. Thanks to Richland County’s support of the Summer Institute, our programs are changing the lives, the perspectives and the capabilities of young women. In 2015, we celebrated 161 years serving women with leadership as a cornerstone of our mission, and marked 25 years of the Summer Leadership Institute, through which more than 1,600 high school women from across the region have taken their first steps as leaders. With support from partners including Richland County, the Summer Institute has gained considerable traction in recent years with nearly a 75% increase in participation, accompanied by corresponding surging increase in requests for need‐based financial aid. We are building on our success through a refocus of the program series, infusing and integrating entrepreneurial and innovation skills, along with specialized programming on young women’s political ambitions, within the curriculum and offerings. In 2016, we will pilot a day‐camp focused on building girls’ entrepreneurial and innovation mindsets, targeting girls residing in the Columbia and Midlands areas, allowing us to serve an additional 20‐30 girls through the program series. Enclosed is a grant renewal request of $6,500 to support financial need‐based scholarships for young women from Richland County, providing opportunities for a diverse group of young women with sparks of leadership. Your re‐investment will enable the College to broaden the experiences the girls have with a once‐in‐a‐lifetime experience and also to serve more young women with financial need‐ based scholarships. (continued) The Institute for Leadership & Professional Excellence 1301 Columbia College Drive | Columbia, South Carolina 29203 803.786.3822 | www.columbiasc.edu | @CCLeaderCenter | leadership@columbiasc.edu
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