Andy Roddick Foundation Awards Mini Grants to Seven Austin Organizations to Help Support Summer Programs Designed to Empower Underserved Young People

Austin, TX (PRWEB) May 28, 2014

The Andy Roddick Foundation, with its focus on enriching the lives of underserved young people, today announced its Summer mini grant award recipients, which are part of the Foundation’s larger grant strategy. Seven Austin organizations received a total of $12,500 from the Foundation to help support their own efforts to improve equity of and access to Summer programs for Austin area youth. 2014 Summer Grantees include Camp Fire Balcones, Explore Austin, Extend-A-Care for Kids, GENaustin, Girlstart, KIPP Austin and NYOS Charter School.

The Andy Roddick Foundation focuses on improving the lives of underserved young people with direct service including its Summer learning program for elementary students. It also partners with similarly focused organizations in multiple ways, including awarding grants. The summer mini grant winners must prove their programs increase student access to and/or improve the quality of Summer learning programs serving young people in Austin. Monies received from the grants must be put toward efforts such as expanding the number of children served, improving activities, adding resources, training staff, or increasing individualized support and interaction with the participating children.

“I started the Andy Roddick Foundation when I was 17 years old, not far removed from the young people we are proud to serve,” said Andy Roddick, founder and chairman. “Giving grants is a network effect, more people working together to improve the lives of more kids. Our grant winners are doing outstanding things for young people and we are proud to provide support and recognize their efforts.”

The 2014 Andy Roddick Foundation Summer grantees include the following organizations, with the following Summer program needs:

•     Camp Fire Balcones – with a mission to build caring, confident youth and future leaders - to support staffing to develop a scholarship fund
•     Explore Austin - with a mission to change the lives of underserved youth through leadership, mentoring and adventure - to support the purchase of adventure gear that will last for years and reduce the program cost per student
•     Extend-A-Care for Kids – with a mission to create an environment that complements the school day - to support a 10-week summer literacy program
•     GENaustin –with a mission to support and guide girls to make wise choices as they navigate the unique pressures of girlhood - to support staffing costs and reduce the cost of attendance
•     Girlstart – with a mission to empower girls in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) - to support scholarships for its STEM camp
•     KIPP Austin – with a mission to empower underserved students to strengthen the academic skills, intellectual habits and character traits necessary to thrive in, and graduate from, four-year colleges and universities - to support transportation to its Summer learning program
•     NYOS Charter School – with a mission to challenge learners with rigorous academics, innovative strategies and expectations for civic engagement - to support STEM curriculum in its Summer camp

Grants will help these organizations expand access to or quality of these Summer offerings for students in grades PK to 12 in under-resourced areas of Austin. To continue its grant making efforts, the Foundation has posted its Fall mini-grant application at http://www.arfoundation.org/getinvolved/grants.html. The Fall mini-grants will be awarded in early September with an application deadline of June 30th.

About Andy Roddick Foundation
The Andy Roddick Foundation focuses on improving the lives of underserved young people through opportunities that will help motivate them to reach their full potential. The Foundation is a vision of now retired tennis professional Andy Roddick who established the Foundation in 2000. Always focused on inspiring and empowering young people, the Andy Roddick Foundation moved its headquarters to Austin, Texas in 2012. The Foundation is granting funds to partners with programs that align with a focus on closing the opportunity gap for young people living in under-resourced areas. Beyond grant making, the Foundation delivers direct service with activities like its own five-week Summer program for elementary school students. For additional information, call 512.298.1960, follow on Twitter @theARFoundation, or visit http://www.arfoundation.org.

PDF Print