EDUCATION

The DSF Charitable Foundation's grants in education have focused on literacy, educational enrichment, youth career development, and private, parochial, and charter schools. Much of the Foundation's support in education has focused on underserved, lower-income youth and has sought to broaden the educational opportunities available to them. Grants have ranged from $15,000 to $500,000.

The Foundation has provided support to several organizations working to promote the literacy of children and families in Allegheny County. These include Reading is Fundamental Pittsburgh, Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council, Allegheny County Library Association, The Heartwood Institute, and Beginning with Books.

Grants for educational enrichment have ranged from summer camps and after-school tutoring for inner-city children to educational-outreach programming. Organizations receiving support for after-school or summer programming include the Manchester Youth Development Center, Allegheny Youth Development, Schenley Heights Community Development Program, and Urban Impact Foundation. Organizations receiving support for educational outreach include the Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh Children's Museum, Tickets For Kids, and the Pittsburgh Zoo and PPG Aquarium. The Foundation has also made a substantial commitment to the Greater Pittsburgh Council of Boy Scouts of America to expand the availability of Scouting opportunities for youth who would otherwise be unable to participate.

Youth-career-development grants have helped students in elementary and high school to learn basic business principles and explore career options through job experience. Organizations that have received grants for youth career development include YouthWorks, Breachmenders, and Junior Achievement of Southwest Pennsylvania.

To support the availability of a broad range of high-quality educational options, the Foundation has awarded grants to private, parochial, and charter schools. Grants have taken several forms, ranging from private- or parochial-school scholarships for low-income children to operating support for the creation of a charter-school federation. Imani Christian Academy, Extra Mile Foundation, The Linsly School, and Oakland Catholic have all been awarded scholarship grants for low-income students. The Foundation recently awarded Propel Schools a grant to support the creation of a charter school in McKeesport. Propel Schools seeks to establish a non-geographic district of seven charter schools in low-income areas.