“When I received the scholarship, I cried. It meant an open door and new opportunities. I felt supported by my community.”
Enji Tuvshinzaya, former recipient
Arlington Community Foundation has a well-established Annual Scholarship Program that in 2023 awarded over $700,000 in scholarships to 102 new students, with a total of 222 recipients including renewal scholarships.
In the past decade, Arlington Community Foundation has awarded more than $5 million to Arlington students attending college. Generous individuals, families, companies and organizations fund the scholarships, which have their own unique eligibility criteria. If you are an individual or with a company that might be interested in starting a scholarship fund, please send us an email at any time.
11 scholarship recipients tell us what it means to them in this video.
“As youth, we can build a sustainable future: a mission that AYPI constantly strives toward.”
Amina Luvsanchultem, former AYPI Chair
The core of the Arlington Youth Philanthropy Initiative (AYPI) is a Youth Board of students from area high schools who are committed to making a difference in Arlington.
These teens recruit and mentor peers to develop sustainable ventures that make a positive impact. The AYPI Youth Board makes decisions on grants to fund these youth-initiated projects and works to preserve and grow the Fund for Youth Philanthropy.
Previous projects include a student podcast about racial equity, a charity fashion show, and refurbishing old computers to teach others about technology.
“My Fellowship was the type of experience that has spurred me to more action, and to better action.”
Andrew Bridges, 2021 STEM Fellow
The STEAM (formerly STEM) Workforce Development Teacher Fellowship provides Arlington Public Schools high school, middle school, and elementary school teachers with opportunities to learn about work place needs in STEAM-related fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) and for them to use the experience to enhance student learning to match workplace expectations in a selected industry. STEAM Fellows participate in a three-week summer fellowship, receiving up to $4,000 stipend upon completion.
2023 is the first year to include “Arts.” Applicants planning to pursue a fellowship in the arts must demonstrate how they will build connections between the arts and science, technology, engineering, or mathematics. The summer application window period recently closed, and updates on this year’s STEAM Fellows will be provided in the early fall.
“No matter the activity, students are using this fund and these moments to find and do what they love.”
Jenn Owens, ACF President & CEO
It is well-documented that students who participate in after-school activities have higher grades, are more engaged, and are better connected with both the school and the community.
Engaging kids early through after-school programming also keeps kids interested in school, allows for the development of mentorships, and helps build students’ self-confidence. These are some of the many reasons why Arlington Community Foundation and the Arlington Sports Foundation are teaming up to raise funds to offset the cost of after-school programming in the eight Title 1 elementary schools in Arlington County: Abingdon, Barcroft, Barrett, Campbell, Carlin Springs, Drew, Hoffman-Boston, and Randolph.
Whether you want to start a scholarship fund or honor a loved one’s legacy, we’d love to hear from you.
