ScholarCHIPS, Inc.

Yasmine “YazzieSpeaks” Arrington was born and raised in Washington, DC. She is a 2015 graduate from Elon University with a Bachelor of Arts in Strategic Communications and History. Yasmine earned her Master of Divinity degree from the Howard University School of Divinity in May 2018. Yasmine is the author of Daily Reflections for Social Entrepreneurs Journal. 

In 2010, while a junior in high school, Yasmine founded the non-profit ScholarCHIPS (www.scholarchipsfund.org), an organization that provides college scholarships, mentoring and a peer support network to children of incarcerated parents, inspiring them to complete their college education. To date, ScholarCHIPS has awarded over $250,000 in college scholarships to 61 scholars, with 22 graduates to date. Yasmine is dedicated to scaling ScholarCHIPS.

Yasmine has been featured in TeenVogue, Essence, Black Enterprise, Forbes Magazine, The Washington Post, and the Baltimore Times, and on ABC7 News WJLA and NBC4 for her community work with ScholarCHIPS.

As a junior in high school, I was challenged with researching and applying for scholarships to help me afford the cost of attendance for my college education. In my research, I did not find any college scholarship mentorship programs specifically for children with incarcerated parents. However, the United States incarcerates more people than any other nation in the world! Today, over 2 million youth in the US have an incarcerated parent. I knew I had to do something, so I decided to start my own scholarship for youth like me, who want to attend college but lack the financial support, mentorship and support network to do so. Thus, ScholarCHIPS was born! I am committed to solving this need. I am proposing to scale ScholarCHIPS' impact. My project will elevate humanity by empowering an often forgotten population to succeed in college and beyond, to break barriers of incarceration and poverty!

Washington, DC has one of the highest incarceration rates in the United States. Parental Incarceration is not only a national issue, but a global issue. In some countries, children serve a portion of their parents' sentence with them or become foster children (International Report on the Conditions of Children with Incarcerated Parents). 

As mass incarceration rates rise, children of incarcerated parents are overlooked victims. Parental incarceration creates hardships for children, including traumatic parental separations. They are more likely to grow up in poverty, face housing instability as they are uprooted and raised by caregivers such as grandparents, perform poorly in school, and be imprisoned. They experience stigma and oftentimes, shame due to their parent’s incarceration—resulting in psychological issues.

Even if they graduate high school, college is unaffordable. Those who attend college face social-emotional and financial struggles. Low-income students of incarcerated parents are four times more likely to drop out of college than advantaged students (The New York Times). 

To address this need, ScholarCHIPS provides scholarships, mentorship, college completion supports, professional development and a peer support network to college bound youth with incarcerated parents from the Washington, DC Metropolitan area.

ScholarCHIPS targets graduating high school seniors who have the drive to attend and graduate from college, but are at risk of falling short because of limited financial resources or support networks. Many are the first in their family to attend or complete college. Our scholars also demonstrate a commitment to their community. 

ScholarCHIPS serves our scholars through three main programs. 

Scholarship Program: ScholarCHIPS provides renewable $2,500 scholarships and $500 book awards to children of incarcerated parents from the DC region. Awards are renewable for up to four years (eight semesters), provided the scholar remains enrolled in college and maintains at least a 2.5 GPA per semester. 

Mentorship and College Completion Program: ScholarCHIPS offers one-on-one mentoring, college life skills/professional development workshops, and exposure to arts and culture. We provide ongoing support so that award recipients matriculate and graduate from college.

Advocacy Program: ScholarCHIPS aims to transform inaccurate societal assumptions about youth with incarcerated parents. Scholars and I participate in community and national advocacy work on policies related to children of incarcerated parents and returning citizens on a regular basis. We have spoken at hearings in front of the DC City Council, written in an Amicus Brief and written letters requesting pardons.

ScholarCHIPS currently targets scholars who live in the Greater Washington, DC region (including Baltimore) due to high rates of mass incarceration and a concerning level of financial instability for our target population. DC has one of the highest living expenses in the country. Gentrification in the District is exacerbating these expenses. However, the median family income is rapidly decreasing in Wards 5, 7, and 8—neighborhoods with the highest incarceration rates and share of young children in the District (Washington Post). 

ScholarCHIPS has served 61 scholars since our inception; 48% are from DC, 46% from Maryland, and 6% from Virginia. We will serve approximately 40 active scholars in FY2020-2021. We welcome students from all ethnic backgrounds to apply; the majority are African Americans, followed by Latinos. The average FAFSA Estimated Family Contribution per scholar is $5,181.16. Many of our scholars' Estimated Family Contribution is $0. 

To understand our scholars' needs, the organization hosts town halls as open forums for scholars to discuss their struggles and needs. After workshops and at the conclusion of every school year, we ask our scholars to take surveys, and tell us what we do that is helping them and what they would like to see implemented.

My project, ScholarCHIPS, definitely overlaps with each of The Elevate Prize's dimensions. However, the dimension that best describes my project is, "Elevating opportunities for all people, especially those who are traditionally left behind." Children of Incarcerated Parents (CHIPS) are often a forgotten population, yet we are the collateral damage of a punitive corrections system and Prison Industrial Complex that incarcerates our parents often for ridiculously long stints of time. I elevate CHIPS through my organization, through my leadership, and cultivation of a robust support network. I encourage and teach scholars how to embrace their personal stories and to lead change.

As a junior in high school in 2010, I enrolled in LearnServe International. In this program, I learned critical problem-solving skills and discovered that I had the agency to be a catalyst for positive, social change even as a teenager. 

When I was searching for scholarships I could apply for to afford the cost of attendance at a collegiate institution, I noticed that there were no scholarship mentorship programs for CHIPS going to college. At LearnServe, I had to come up with a "venture," which is a creative solution to a social problem. I thought to myself, "I'd like to start a scholarship program for youth, like me." When I began to conduct research on mass incarceration, I was truly appalled by the statistics! I discovered that there are literally millions of children in the United States (and globally) with incarcerated parents. I was determined to do something! 

I pitched my idea in front of a panel of judges. The panel unanimously gave me the green light to launch my venture, and I received a $1,000 seed grant from Ashoka's Youth Venture. I asked three adults, in my life at the time, to be ScholarCHIPS' founding board members.

I am passionate about my project, ScholarCHIPS, because I am the child of an incarcerated parent. My father has been in and out of jails and federal prisons my entire life. I am 27 now and my father is currently incarcerated. I know too well the challenges that CHIPS face - from emotional to financial struggles. I truly believe that if our corrections institutions were rehabilitative, then my father would have received the mental health support and counseling he truly needs to address past traumas and to learn how to positively channel emotions like anger, frustration, feelings of abandonment, etc. I am the second in my family to graduate from college. I am on a mission to help entire generations break cycles of intergenerational incarceration and the harsh realities and struggles of living in poverty. I am on a mission to empower youth to love and forgive their parents, to practice restorative justice in their advocacy work, own their stories and pay it forward for the people in their families and communities. I know for certain that this very much my life's purpose and calling. I will constantly develop innovative solutions to issues around incarceration and education access. 

I have been the Executive Director of ScholarCHIPS, since I founded the organization in 2010. I have developed and continue to develop skills in management, storytelling, communications, donor cultivation, resource alignment, board development, etc. I have a degree in Strategic Communications and a Master's degree in Divinity, so I am trained professionally to communicate with various stakeholders, and to be a listening ear and prophetic voice for those who need it. I also have passion for my work and compassion for the youth I serve, who I work for and alongside. I am also the child of an incarcerated parent.

ScholarCHIPS is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of our scholars. We implement a three-pronged approach specifically designed to benefit youth with incarcerated parents: (1) a comprehensive Scholarship Program to address the financial needs of college-bound youth with limited familial and monetary resources; (2) a Mentorship and College Completion Program that provides a support network, which increases scholars’ chances of persisting through graduation and establishing successful careers; and (3) the Advocacy and Outreach Program, which aims to influence policy and change the negative stigma faced by children with incarcerated parents.

ScholarCHIPS is the only organization in the DC region that works to achieve the following mission: provide college scholarships, mentorship, and a support network for youth with incarcerated parents, inspiring them to complete their college education. ScholarCHIPS empowers youth to break barriers and build successful futures, guided by our belief that "the tassel is worth the hassle!”

In 2017, a ScholarCHIPS scholar wrote a letter informing me that her laptop had crashed and asking if the organization could assist her with this. This young lady was a straight "A" student and a film major. Having been a communications major, I knew that as a film major, she would have digital projects she would need to edit on her own laptop. I went to the Board of Directors with this request and my recommendation for the organization to purchase this young scholar a new laptop. To my surprise, I received a lot of push back from the board, as their fear was setting a precedent for support that we might not be able to provide for all scholars. I wrestled internally to figure out a workable solution, because I knew that this young lady needed a laptop and did not have the means to get one herself. I came up with an idea for a separate fund -a Scholar Emergency Fund, where scholars can submit a short application to request support from the organization when they have emergencies. The board loved this idea and unanimously voted it into praxis. To date, many scholars benefit from this fund.

In 2016, I was asked to testify before the DC City Council on my experience as the child of an incarcerated parent and why it is critically important for Washington, DC to begin keeping record of how many children in our public schools have incarcerated parents. I accepted the invitation. After sharing my testimony alongside other local advocates and activists in the community, the DC City Council passed legislation to require DC public schools to begin accounting for their children who have incarcerated parents. Now, when parents enroll their children into a DC public school, as a part of the enrollment packet, they have to fill out a form entitled "Adverse Childhood Experiences." This form has an option you can select if the child has had or has an incarcerated parent. Having this data will give us a better understanding how many children are experiencing parental incarceration in our school system and will allow for us to continue advocating for funds of programs to support these children and youth.

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As an organization founded and led by a DC native with a formerly incarcerated parent, as a near-peer mentor, I use my experiences to empower potential and current scholars to own their stories. 

ScholarCHIPS provides a trauma-informed support network for low-income college-bound youth with an incarcerated parent. ScholarCHIPS is uniquely positioned to meet the needs of our scholars. We are committed to empowering scholars with a community of support, mentorship, and tuition funding—with holistic supports that continue even if students fall behind the G.P.A. requirements in any given semester. We also work to dissolve the taboos associated with having an incarcerated parent through our scholar-led advocacy work.

I designed a model to ensure that our target population not only enroll in college, but persist, graduate, and thrive professionally. 

ScholarCHIPS is well-respected for its unique approach. When scholars graduate college, they break cycles of intergenerational incarceration and poverty. In fact, The College Success Foundation recognized ScholarCHIPS' success “changing the lives of young people, who with a little hope and opportunity will not only change their trajectory, but the trajectory of their families and the communities they serve.”

Additionally, ScholarCHIPS is not an organization that prescribes solutions for our scholars, but we allow and encourage our scholars and alumni to be engaged in the process of the organization's programming, growth and development. We ask our scholars for their feedback regularly and ask about programming and services they need and would like to see.

ScholarCHIPS envisions a world where children of incarcerated parents are no longer marginalized and stigmatized by society, have equal access to higher education, and, ultimately, experience a future absent of poverty and incarceration.

Through ScholarCHIPS mentorship programming, we anticipate that Scholars will demonstrate growth, awareness, and knowledge in the following areas. Therefore, the program model is designed based on the Theory of Change Goal Areas that follow:

1.         Financial Literacy & Management

2.         Academic Support

3.         Self-esteem/Positive Mindset 

4.         Goal-setting

5.         Leadership

6.         Job skills/Work readiness 

7.         Community, Cultural & Civic Involvement 

8.         Life skills

9.         Career/Passion Exploration

10.       Social Awareness

              ●  Self Defense 

              ●  Cyber safety 

              ●  Mental Health

              ●  Safe sex/Family Planning

              ●  Self-defense

The Program’s Building Blocks to accomplish the Theory of Change include:

1. Signature Events/Activities
2. One-to-one Mentoring Program that includes a Scholar and Adult mentor matched by program
3. Community-Based interactions and Virtual (Internet, phone, email, Skype) communications 
4. Collaboration with Partners

As a result of these inputs over 4-6 years, ScholarCHIPS scholars and alumni will accomplish the following (be able to): 

• Earn a college degree
• Earn an advanced degree (if they choose to pursue) 
• Obtain a job in their desired career field with a livable wage and benefits
• Serve as mentors to future ScholarCHIPS scholars
• Serve in various capacities of leadership within the organization (i.e. Board of Directors)
• Share their story of parental incarceration and overcoming adversity publicly
• Be confident public speakers
• Be an individual committed to service to their community 
• Break the cycle of poverty (or financial struggle) in their families
• Be fiscally responsible and good stewards over their resources
• Break the cycle of incarceration in their families
• Break the cycle of lack of education in their families
• Be able to serve as an example and help guide young siblings, family members and community students in the college application and selection process
• Be civically engaged citizens 

In 2020-2021 (FY2021), ScholarCHIPS will serve approximately 40 scholars who are matriculating through college. ScholarCHIPS has supported 61 scholars since 2012. The organization has 22 college graduates to date. 

In one year, we will serve 60 scholars. 

In five years, we will serve 100-150 scholars in any given year.

My goals within the next year are to:

1) Fundraise to secure a multi-million-dollar endowment for ScholarCHIPS, solidifying the organization's sustainability. 

         Will accomplish this by developing a fundraising strategy for major donations, taking trainings on major gift fundraising and donor cultivation, conducting prospect research, and pitching to philanthropists with a passion for education. 

2) To establish an official board nomination and selection process, and complete a full nomination and selection cycle for the Board of Directors in FY2021. 

         Will accomplish this by working with Fair Chance and the ScholarCHIPS board to develop this process.

3) To hire two part-time staff members to help build the organization's capacity in management of scholar programs. 

        Will accomplish this by creating job descriptions and getting feedback from partners at other local education nonprofits and will include salaries and benefits for positions in our budget. 

My goals within the next five years are: 

1) To recruit and award more scholars than we have ever served in any given year (from 10 to 30-50 new incoming scholars per year). 

        Will accomplish by recruiting team members and volunteers to go out into the community and recruit applicants.

2) To scale our model to multiple cities across the United States. 

        Will accomplish by identifying partners who have the desire to replicate our model in their city. 

3) To establish ScholarCHIPS chapters at colleges and universities. 

4) To establish a strong ScholarCHIPS alumni network. 

5) To continue to impact, inspire, teach and advise young social entrepreneurs (personal goal). 

As a young organization, ScholarCHIPS’ greatest challenge is to secure multiple long-term commitments of funding and to diversify our revenue sources in order to expand our capacity, enhance our services for our scholars, and create a self-sustaining organization model. Additionally, I have been a staff of one over the organization, since I transitioned from a volunteer and became a paid (W2) employee of the organization in 2017. As one individual, I am limited in my capacity and need to build up the organization's staff around my strengths. 

Another challenge that currently exists for the organization is our need to transition from a founding board to a governing board. There are definitely growing pains involved. We are in a crunch for time to succession plan for executive board positions, to develop a process for board nomination, and to conduct a full cycle before three of five board members will have reached the maximum amount of time one can serve on the board (10 years). 

A third barrier is a lack of access to major media outlets and funds to launch media campaigns to raise awareness about our work.

All of these barriers can be overcome, and I am certainly committed to making sure that the organization pulls through, but it will not be without its challenges. With the support of The Elevate Prize, I would be able to do all of this and more to maximize ScholarCHIPS' outreach and impact with a model that already has an established proof of concept. 

If selected as an inaugural Elevate Prize awardee, I will be able to tackle and address these barriers head on! 

In having the once in a lifetime opportunity to have direct access to The Elevate Prize's network of partners, executives and subject matter experts, I will be able to call on these individuals for advice on best practices and methods to build up various aspects of my organization. I am positive that many of those in your network of professionals have served on nonprofit boards or have had to develop them, or create the culture of an organization, and create a strategy and plan to bring in funding and revenue, etc. 

I know the power of mentorship and I would not be where I am today without it. At this point in my journey as a social change agent and grassroots nonprofit executive leader, the main thing holding me back from breaking through to next level impact is my lack of social capital and the mentorship of highly successful business people. 

In terms of ScholarCHIPS lack of access to major media outlets and funds to launch local and national campaigns (with commercials and print ads, etc.), The Elevate Prize would provide ScholarCHIPS the opportunity for tailored media campaigns that will amplify our work, build brand recognition and develop a fanbase! The Elevate Prize will also provide support for marketing, promoting and communicating my mission and the mission of ScholarCHIPS. This would be a long-time dream of mine come true!

ScholarCHIPS is a well-respected organization, with strong ties to the DC community. We partner with 21st Century School Fund (provides discounted or pro bono space for our annual conference and fundraising events); Latin American Youth Center (provides pro bono space for our annual conference and refers high school seniors to our programs); Luther Memorial Church (provides discounted space for our Scholars’ Retreat); DC Half and Half Marathon (donates proceeds to ScholarCHIPS annually); LearnServe International (previous fiscal agent and serves as a supportive thought partner, i.e. shares effective business practices and referrals); National Coalition for the Homeless (provides community service opportunities for scholars and an orientation on homelessness in DC); Arena Stage (offers a 40% discount on ticket prices for two to three shows per year for ScholarCHIPS to sell for a profit); The People's Community Baptist Church Prison Ministry (hosts an essay contest for our scholars and award gift cards from major retailers); professionals who facilitate workshops at our scholar events; and high school counselors (to identify and recruit applicants).

ScholarCHIPS also partners with Fair Chance, a nonprofit in Washington, DC whose mission is to "strengthen the sustainability and performance of community-based nonprofits to achieve life-changing results for children and youth experiencing poverty." In 2019, ScholarCHIPS was named a Fair Chance Pathways partner (six month partnership) and the organization assigned us with a capacity building specialist to help us develop our capacity in the key area of board development within the organization. ScholarCHIPS is a 2020 Fair Chance Praxis partner.

ScholarCHIPS is a 501c3 charitable organization. We provide college scholarships, mentoring and a support network to children of incarcerated parents, inspiring them to complete their college education. 

Currently, ScholarCHIPS raises dollars through individual donations (we have a very faithful donor base), funds from family foundations and giving circles, board contributions, and fundraising events (i.e. galas, theater fundraisers, friendraisers, house party gatherings, an annual half marathon, etc.). Although many nonprofits operate solely off of these sources as their primary and only sources of revenue, we understand that these revenue sources alone do not necessarily make a sustainable organization. 

I am actively seeking ways to build up our business model. I plan to start a separate for-profit company, where once the company begins selling products, a portion of the proceeds can go to ScholarCHIPS. I also plan to fundraise for an endowment for the organization. Fundraising for a multi-million-dollar endowment is an extremely ambitious goal for a young woman who is leading a grassroots organization who is not a wealthy individual and does not have wealthy friends and partners who are generous philanthropists. However, I know that anything is possible and that I have the work ethic, grit, resilience and ability to seek out this support and obtain it for my organization. 

Our scholars need our support in scholarships, mentorship, and professional development because children of incarcerated parents face many struggles throughout their lives. They need our direct and ongoing support to graduate from college and obtain careers with livable wages.

ScholarCHIPS currently brings in funding through individual donations (we have a very faithful donor base), funds from family foundations and giving circles, board contributions, and fundraising events (i.e. galas, theater fundraisers, friendraisers, house party gatherings, an annual half marathon, etc.).

The future of ScholarCHIPS' financial sustainability will include a multi-million-dollar endowment, partnerships with corporations with a corporate social responsibility arm that have values in alignment with our work, multiple partnerships with businesses who donate proceeds to the organization, relationships with philanthropists, multiple multi-year financial commitments from Family Foundations, wealth groups and corporations and proceeds from sales from my future for-profit company. 

In the future, ScholarCHIPS will also develop a robust Development Department, where we recruit and retain some of the top talent in the country in development. 

The A. James and Alice B. Clark Foundation - $100,000 (general operating grant over 3 years, 2017-2020. Received in installments 2018, 2019 and 2020)

The Morris & Gwendolyn Cafritz Foundation - $25,000 (renewed general operating grant. Received in July of 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020)

Walter Brownley Trust - $15,000 (general operating grant. Received September 2019)

The Family Foundation - $10,000 (sponsorship grant of a renewable $2,500 scholarship for one scholar for four years. Received August 2019) 

Bridges Beyond 17 Fund - $10,000 (sponsorship grant of a renewable $2,500 scholarship for one scholar for four years. Received November 2019) 

Truist Foundation - $10,000 (general operating grant. Received July 2020) 

North Star Foundation - $10,000 (general operating grant. Received November 2019)

J.K. Kaplan Fund - $10,000 (COVID-19 Emergency response funding grant for Scholar Emergency Fund. Received April 2020)

Herb Block Foundation - $7,000 (general operating grant. Received July 2020)

Black Benefactors - $5,000 (general operating support grant in light of COVID-19. Received July 2020)

The Foley Hoag Foundation - $5,000 (grant for Mentoring and College Completion program. Received July 2019)

The Kenneth Rainin Foundation - $2,500 (discretionary grant. Received July 2020)

ScholarCHIPS raises funds the previous year to ensure we have funds to operate from in the current fiscal year. 

We plan to raise approximately $305,100 in FY2021 (July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021), to operate the scholarships and program support for our scholars in FY2022. $50,000 of this income is itemized as expected income from gala ticket sales, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic we likely will not be able to have a large in-person gala in 2020 or 2021. 

ScholarCHIPS is running into difficult decisions, where the board is hesitant to hire staff at this time, not wanting the majority of our funding to go towards administrative costs and salaries. This is based on financial best practices of nonprofit organizations. Therefore, the organization needs to raise at least $500,000 in order to responsibily grow our capacity by hiring staff to run, sustain and enhance our programs and direct services for scholars, while still being able to put more resources towards our programming and scholars, and have what our treasurer calls a "cushion" (net income) in our budget so that the following year we will not be starting from ground zero. This model promotes the sustainability of the organization and allows room for a difficult fundraising year. 

ScholarCHIPS' estimated expenses for FY2021 (July 1, 2020-June 30, 2021) is $298,700. 

Board approved budget and organization financial documents are available upon request. 

I am applying for The Elevate Prize because I am an innovative and transformational leader who is tackling the issues of financial need, support and education access for children of incarcerated parents. I am a resilient problem-solver, who knows how to overcome adversity and come up with creative solutions to social problems. I have sacrificed my adolescence and my 20s to create and build ScholarCHIPS and my worst fear is that if anything ever happened to me, that the organization would fold. It is my mission and desire to make the organization sustainable and ultimately, scale our work because there are millions more youth who need ScholarCHIPS in their city! 

Further, I am applying for The Elevate Prize because this network of professionals, along with the funding support, will be a game-changer for me and for the organization. Every year I struggle to raise the funds to make sure that we can continue this work. With The Elevate Prize, my project ScholarCHIPS will go from struggling to thriving! The Elevate Prize advisors, network of business professionals, executives and experts can advise me in building up the ScholarCHIPS Board of Directors and internal structures for the organization, creating a master long-term strategic plan for the organization, reaching a larger audience (from local to national, and possibly international) and executing successful marketing and communications campaigns for my work. Also, being surrounded by fellow problem-solvers and social change innovators, will allow me the unique opportunity to learn from my peers in this space.

During my partnership with The Elevate Prize, I hope to accomplish the following: 

1) Work with my Elevate Prize advisors and/or coaches to develop a robust plan and strategy to enhance ScholarCHIPS' funding and revenue model.

2) Receive advising on how to recruit and retain talent for the ScholarCHIPS' team (and best HR/management practices).

3) Talk with my Elevate Prize advisors and individuals in the network to help me brainstorm individuals who would be a great match for ScholarCHIPS' Board of Directors or the Advisory Board and how to schedule meetings with them.

4) Work with The Elevate Prize to come up with a plan and strategy for a marketing campaign for ScholarCHIPS in order to raise awareness of our work (transition from local to national, and even international) to a larger audience.

5) Regularly speak with my fellow Elevate Prize social innovators to exchange ideas, challenges, successes, and more.

Organizations and individuals whom I would like to partner with: 

- The Obama Foundation and the Obamas

- Nightly News with Lester Holt and MSNBC

- Robin Roberts on Good Morning America

- NFL Star Demariyus Thomas (mother was incarcerated 15 years)

- Robert F. Smith and Fund II Foundation

- Oprah and OWN network 

- Mark Cuban

- Ava DuVernay 

- Kim Kardashian 

- John Legend

- Tyler Perry and The Perry Foundation

- Bryan Stevenson and EJI 

- Ivy McGregor and BeyGood

- Jamie Dimon and JP Morgan Chase  

- Debra Lee and BET 

- Cathy Hughes and Radio/TV One  

- John Legere and T-Mobile 

- NFL Hall of Famer, Aeneas Williams 

- Adrian Peterson and the A&A Foundation 

These are organizations and individuals I have had on my dream list for years! Some could partner on a project to support and mentor youth with incarcerated parents. Some of these individuals could be: spokespersons for the organization, sponsors or donors of ScholarCHIPS (based on their passion for education and/or criminal justice), or partners on fundraising events or campaigns. Some of these individuals could give keynote addresses to our scholars, and/or be pivotal in providing me and our scholars with a platform to tell our stories and reach a wider audience through television and radio. I look forward to working with The Elevate Prize to possibly make one or some of these partnerships reality and further brainstorming organizations and individuals whose values align directly with my work through ScholarCHIPS.