Mayor Coleman A. Young’s Endowment Ensures Detroit Scholars Success in College

Detroit Today host Stephen Henderson sits down with Marvin Beatty–President of the Coleman A. Young Foundation–to discuss the organization’s scholarship program. Highlights from the interview include: 

• A commitment to individual success: Beatty says the institution’s 95% participant graduation rate is due to a support system that starts early on and continues throughout the life. Through direct involvement with the organization kids build a comprehensive experience that will help establish their roots in Detroit and draw them back after graduation to continue nurturing the city’s culture and history.
• Young’s legacy: Beatty explains most people don’t know how committed Coleman Young was to youth and their education. In addition to the scholarship foundation and its programs he left a million dollars at Wayne State to enable an endowed chair whose role is integrated into solving the college’s student body issues and promote diversity and keeping graduation in the students’ minds.
• More than just an education: Beatty says the foundation’s success isn’t just about graduation. He says the entire support system built up by the program focuses on the kids and really makes sure they have all the assets they need for success. Stephen agrees and says most scholarship programs could take a cue from their process

Click the audio link above for the full story.