I'm Going to College Program (IGTC)
A group of financial aid administrators developed the IGTC program in 1990 to motivate fourth-grade elementary school children in low-income and/or underserved areas to go to college. An elementary school and a local college/university become partners to educate teachers, students, and parents about what it is like to attend college. The program culminates with the entire group of children visiting the partner campus. During the day-long visit, they attend specially-designed classes to give them a taste of what it's really like to be in college. Most of the participating students will be first-generation college students, and their parents may never have been on a college campus before.

To learn more about IGTC Events, contact the California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

PACT, Inc. - www.pactinc.org
This organization supports Bay Area youths who have limited financial resources and who are the first in their family to attend college. PACT encourages students to complete secondary school and enter a program of higher education. Chela teamed up with PACT in 1997 to offer scholarships and education financing information. This year, we have awarded $25,000 in scholarship dollars to college-bound high school seniors and continuing college students.

Teach for America - www.teachforamerica.org
This network of recent college graduates have committed to teaching two years in under resourced urban and rural public schools. Chela's scholarship dollars are awarded to these dedicated Bay Area (from San Francisco, Oakland, East Palo Alto, and San Jose) teachers by providing scholarships for accreditation classes, some of which are master's degree programs. The Chela Scholarship Committee chose Teach for America to be a Community Partner in 1997, and has awarded $25,000 in scholarships this year to these committed teachers.

COSMOS - www.ucop.edu/cosmos/
Chela is proud to award $20,000 in scholarships to COSMOS in 2004. Launched by the University of California, the COSMOS program challenges and motivates California students in grades 8-12. Students who excel in math and science are recommended by their teachers for this enriching on-campus (at UC-Irvine, UC-Santa Cruz, and UC-Davis) summer course. Chela's scholarship dollars are awarded at each campus to outstanding high school juniors and seniors who will be attending college after completing COSMOS. This group was chosen to be a Community Partner by Chela in 2001.

Educating Young Minds - www.educatingyoungminds.org
This Los Angeles-based group was formed to create a supplemental teaching and learning environment where students are encouraged to grow and excel academically and emotionally. It emphasizes college as the end goal to all primary/secondary educational pursuits. Chela's scholarship dollars are awarded each year to high school seniors who will begin college as freshmen in the fall. Educating Young Minds (EYM) has received scholarship funding from Chela since 2000. This year, Chela has awarded $20,000 to EYM college students.