Scholars rely on Greenhouse Scholars’ Flex Funding to fund life changing projects and experiences that support their leadership, impact, personal growth, or educational endeavors. These are important experiences that our Scholars might otherwise not have the financial resources to pursue. 

We are excited to announce the launch of our new crowdfunding platform so that you, and your friends, can help us determine which Flex Funding projects to support and allow us to support a greater number and variety of projects in the future. 

Visit flexfunding.greenhousescholars.org to read about current projects, like “Aiding the ROYAL Leaders Conference” by Jose, Class of 2019, and donate now. 

This Sunday marks Greenhouse Scholars’ first annual Peer Day in which Scholars gather together in small groups across the country to celebrate and support one another.

George, Class of 2017, and Will, Class of 2018, who both attend University of Colorado, Colorado Springs are just one of the many examples of the significant bonds our Scholars forge.

Both are the first in the families to attend college, and both are driven by intense desires to become physicians.

George, a senior, was recently accepted to several prestigious medical schools, and he is about to make a decision for where he would like to attend. As someone farther along on this journey, he has taken the time to help Will, a junior, navigate his potential choices, prepare for the MCAT, and also in reviewing Will’s med school applications. George’s guidance and time have been invaluable for Will.

For Will’s part, when George asked him why he wanted to be a physician, Will responded: “Because I want to be a superhero!” His genuine response resonated deeply with George, as it caused him to reflect on his own dreams. George realized the realities of growing up can sometimes overshadow the initial, important aspirations you have to act selflessly in order to shape the world that benefits us all. Will’s comment was a refreshing reminder to not lose sight of George’s own ideals and provided a welcomed rejuvenation.

We could not be prouder of these two amazing individuals, and we are grateful this program enabled them to not only cross one another’s paths, but to positively shape that path as well.

Foundation for Global Scholars, a nonprofit that inspires and equips young adults to tackle global challenges through international experience, leadership skills, and cultural competence, has pledged to give Greenhouse Scholars $300,000 over the next three years—the largest gift in the organization’s history.

These funds will be used to support education initiatives and impact projects on an international scale. Along with this donation, Foundation for Global Scholars Co-Founders Sheila Houston and Cynthia Banks will be personally involved with the organization as volunteers, and Cynthia Banks has joined the Greenhouse Scholars Colorado Development and Advisory Board.

“We are extremely grateful for this gift and are excited for the many opportunities that will be made possible due to Sheila’s and Cynthia’s generosity,” said Pete Burridge, President and CEO of Greenhouse Scholars. “We look forward to collaborating with Sheila and Cynthia and the exceptional young leaders in our program to identify high-impact projects and initiatives that will drive positive change in low-income communities throughout the world.”

Cynthia Banks adds: “We are extremely impressed with the Greenhouse Scholars mission and with their capability to enact real change among young adults through education and community service. We have met their scholars and clearly see the impact of their programs and services. The Foundation for Global Scholars is honored to support this organization.”

Greenhouse Scholars congratulates the first Scholars to become Fulbright Fellowship recipients; Mesert, Class of 2011, Michelle, Class of 2016, and Jessica, Class of 2016. The Fulbright is one of the most prestigious awards in the world.

Meseret, Class of 2011, will use her Fulbright Fellowship to research the persistence of STEM education for girls in Ethiopia (the fastest growing country in Africa) as part of her thesis for her PhD in Education. Through the support of Greenhouse Scholars’ Flex Funding program, Mesert had the opportunity to do a short-term research project in Ethiopia about healthcare non-governmental organizations. That transformative research experience was her her starting point for further study of Ethiopian health and education systems in her MA program, and now her doctoral study.

Michelle, Class of 2016, is currently residing in her mother’s native Poland where she is an English Teaching Assistant for university-level students. Growing up, Michelle was immersed in Polish heritage, language, and culture—a unique contrast to her father’s Mexican heritage. She plans to use her experience to help write her thesis, the focus being on nuanced identity and its relationship to community-building, which are subject matters she relates to personally. Michelle’s longterm career goal is to become a Professor of Sociology.

Jessica, Class of 2016, the daughter of an Muslim, Afghani father and a Catholic, Venezuelan mother is currently studying Afghan refugees on the border of Tajikistan. Coming from a family of refugees, Jessica saw the negative consequences that war had on her own family’s mental health, which shaped her desire to address and change care and treatment for mental health issues.

Founded by Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946, competitively selected American citizens may become eligible for scholarships to study, conduct research, or exercise their talents abroad; and citizens of other countries may qualify to do the same in the United States of America. The program was established to increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and other countries through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills.

Congratulations to Greenhouse Scholar Alumni, Elli Legerski, who’s film Snatchers showed at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.

Elli spent two summers interning with Lee Daniels Entertainment, an opportunity she was connected to through Greenhouse Scholars. Elli credits her internship experiences for starting her career as a Film Producer.

To read more about Snatchers visit: http://www.sundance.org/projects/snatchers

Join Greenhouse Scholars and Illinois’ most inspiring and extraordinary young leaders for The Community Table on June 10, 2017.

Featuring a three course meal from one of Chicagoland’s top chefs, you will savor a delicious and inspiring evening in a unique, intimate farm setting.

Tickets are limited—get yours now at ghscommunitytable.org/tickets/

Greenhouse Scholars welcomed 6 new Development and Advisory Board members, nearly doubling the size of its Colorado board membership.

The Development and Advisory Board is a group of community leaders who have pledged to help our organization identify and leverage fundraising opportunities, in addition to making their own generous personal contributions.  Members of this board are active in helping organize fundraising events and rallying other prominent community leaders to our cause. This board greatly improves our ability to raise funds, build a dependable, lasting foundation for our program’s growth, and contribute to the success of our Scholars.

The 2016 Development and Advisory Board additions include:

• Cynthia Banks, CEO New World Vistas
• Drew Esson, Director at Digital Globe
• David Howson, Former President, Zayo Group
• Michael Hora, CEO of Hora Enterprises
• Rick Schuham, Executive Vice President at Savills Studley (formerly a member of our Illinois Development and Advisory Board)
• Jarrod Tisdell, Vice President of Implementation, Zayo Group

To read more about all of our board members, click HERE.

Join Greenhouse Scholars for Glass Half Full, Denver’s can’t miss philanthropic wine and food event on May 5, 2017.

Sample fine wines and craft cocktails, savor unique culinary creations, socialize, and bid on some once in a lifetime live auction experiences–all in support of Greenhouse Scholars’ mission to be a catalyst for changing lives and communities through generations.

Our 2016 event was a huge success, welcoming over 250 guests and featuring bites from Denver’s top restaurants as well as exciting auction items such as a 10-day Galapagos Trip, a Peyton Manning and John Elway signed Broncos helmet, and a private dinner party for 20.

Bring a group and save up to $75 per ticket.  Tickets are limited, reserve yours now to avoid disappointment!  Click HERE to buy now.

Dear Greenhouse Scholars community,

I have some exciting news to share.  Our Whole Person program is evolving!  Why is this so exciting?  At the center of our ability to make a lasting difference is this program.  Essentially, it is the driver of our impact on our Scholars during their college years and the driver of our ability to help shape the impact they will have throughout their lives.

We are building the new program from a position of strength.  We have ten years of positive results to build from.  Far from an overhaul, this is about:  1) iterating on what has been successful and 2) adding where we believe we can do more with our Scholars.

We have two new program components – “Impact” and “Skills Modules”.  We also have improvements we are implementing within all existing program components. At a high level, the Impact component will immediately increase our influence on the generation of young people coming behind our Scholars, as well as increasing our Scholar’s ability to have a greater impact throughout their lives.  The Skills Modules is a technology enabled component that will provide our Scholars with more leadership and professional tools and skills.  We will provide a thorough explanation of our program evolution in our annual newsletter that will be out to you in November.

To get to our new Whole Person Program, we spent eight months conducting primary and secondary research (including talking with many of our Scholars, our Mentors, community leaders in low-income neighborhoods, our alums, and education leaders across the country), brainstorming conceptual and tactical ideas with our sister company Greenhouse Partners, debating and discussing, identifying best fit with our vision and values, and building and iterating until we felt great about any changes.  The process was thorough and thoughtful and everyone on the team that participated knows they were part of something that will shape our impact for years to come.

Our evolved program was unveiled to our Scholars at our Summer Symposium, and received with great enthusiasm.

I am proud of our team for the great work they did on this incredibly important project.  I am excited about what our evolved program will mean for our ongoing pursuit of creating a community of leaders that will change the communities of the world.

Thank you for being an integral part of our growing community!

Peter M. Burridge
President and CEO

Hundreds of high school seniors are anxiously planning for college and beginning their Greenhouse Scholars applications, hoping to be selected to our Whole Person program. We invite our supporters to help us choose the next group of exceptional young leaders who will become the Class of 2021.

Volunteers are crucial in helping us make selections each year. This is a unique opportunity for our community to better understand the impressive young leaders who apply to Greenhouse Scholars and seeing, in action, just how much your investment and support means.

See below for more information on the commitment and timing. Please contact Lindsey Price at lprice@greenhousescholars.org by December 1st if you are interested in participating.

ROUND 1 – Written Application Reading and Scoring
Volunteers are placed on review teams and assigned 7 – 8 applications to read and score. The volunteer team comes together for a one-hour in person meeting to discuss each member’s respective rankings and recommend which applications to progress to the next round of review.

• Week of December 12 – Volunteers are sent access to applications and scoring criteria.
• Thursday, January 5 – Scoring is due from volunteers in the online application system.
• Week of January 9 – Volunteer team meets for one hour to discuss selection of semifinalists.

ROUND 2 – Video Application Evaluation
Volunteers read and score 7-8 student applications then watch a short video response from each candidate to better understand their personality and fit with the program. The volunteer team comes together for a one-hour in person meeting to discuss each member’s respective rankings and recommend which applications to progress to the final round of review; the interview stage.

• Week of February 13 – Volunteers are sent access to applications and scoring criteria.
• Sunday, February 26 – Scoring is due from volunteers in the online application system.
• Week of February 27 – Volunteer team meets for one hour to discuss selection of semi-finalists.

Thank you for supporting our program and helping us to cultivate a community of leaders who are creating lasting change.