The College Foundation’s  21st Century Endowment Fund is supporting new curriculum development in writing and  information literacy, cultural partnerships, concerts and scholarships to fill financial aid gaps for financially disadvantaged students. Last April seven projects totalling $31,900 were approved, providing 21st Century grants to academic, cultural  and student service programs.

A grant of $5,000 benefits The Hartford High School Partnership (HHSP) and book awards to high school juniors and seniors who enroll at Capital as part of an early college experience.  The Office of Financial Aid is using $10,000 for  “persistence” scholarships, filling a gap in financial aid from public sources to allow eligible students to stay in college.

The College’s Wadsworth Atheneum Partnership, an outgrowth of the Hartford Heritage Program, gets a boost of $4,500 — funds for a faculty workshop and institutional membership that allows free admission to the Atheneum for all Capital students.  Concerts @ Capital, the free public music series at Centinel Hill Hall, gains $9,000 to continue concerts in the 2013-2014 academic year. Two grants totaling $8,500 will underwrite curricular improvements and new software in information literacy and in writing courses.

The 21^st Century Fund is a permanently restricted endowment that provides annual resources for the College.  Through the Foundation’s fundraising events and appeals the endowment fund has grown over the last decade helped by federal and state matching fund programs . Uses of income from the Fund include projects and activities involving academic enrichment, curriculum and faculty development, cultural enrichment, acquisitions and financial aid.

Faculty and staff were invited to submit proposals to the President’s Office in the Spring semester to be considered for 21st Century grants.  “We are grateful for the Foundation’s ongoing support of our students and the college,” said President Wilfredo Nieves, Ed.D, who serves as the Foundation’s ex-officio secretary.