Meryl Streep has donated $10,000 to the scholarship fund of the Upward Bound at Rhode Island College program—a fund founded by fellow Best Actress nominee and Upward Bound alumna Viola Davis and her sister.
Meryl Streep and Viola Davis share a friendship and a joint belief in the power of Upward Bound, a federally funded program dedicated to providing low-income students with the support and skills needed to attend and succeed in college.
“Ms. Davis is an exceptional role model for the thousands of underserved students currently striving to achieve success both academically and beyond,” said Council for Opportunity in Education President Dr. Arnold Mitchem, whose organization is a critical supporter of Upward Bound and other federal college access (TRIO) programs.
According to Upward Bound Director Mariam Boyajian, Streep’s contribution to Upward Bound is not her first donation made in honor of Davis and her work. Streep donated $2,500 to Upward Bound in 2009, as well as an additional $10,000 to The Segue Institute for Learning in Central Falls, a school in the economically depressed area of Central Falls, RI, where Davis grew up.
For more information about Upward Bound alumni and other TRIO programs, visit www.coenet.us.
The Council for Opportunity in Education (COE) is the only national organization dedicated to furthering the expansion of postsecondary opportunities for low-income and first-generation students. Established in 1981, COE serves the interests of college opportunity professionals at major U.S. higher education institutions. Through nearly 3,000 federal TRIO programs, these individuals help low-income and first-generation students overcome class, social, academic, and cultural barriers to enter college and graduate. COE provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, educational resources, and networking opportunities as well as offers research and information through the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education and the Louis Stokes Institute for Opportunity in STEM Education.
