Grant will serve underrepresented students of color in the greater Tacoma area to provide them with the holistic support needed to excel in school and earn college degrees

NORTHAMPTON, MA / ACCESSWIRE / August 15, 2024 / KeyBank has announced a grant of $180,000 to Rainier Scholars - Tacoma as the nonprofit seeks to rapidly grow its services to underrepresented students of color in the greater Tacoma area. The goal is to provide youth with the academic, social, and emotional support needed to excel in school and earn college degrees.

Over the next three years, the program will welcome additional cohorts of students, develop curriculum to meet their needs as they advance into middle school and high school, and establish a second entry-point for 7th grade students at First Creek Middle School. Rainier Scholars - Tacoma was designed as a unique public-school partnership that collaborates alongside fellow educators to improve the outcomes of students who face the biggest barriers to success. It is helping to realize the mission of Rainier Scholars: to cultivate the academic and leadership potential of underrepresented students of color through rigorous, transformative opportunities that increase college graduation rates and empower new generations of leaders.

Funds from the KeyBank grant will be used to support program implementation including staffing, material development and supplies.

"At KeyBank, our mission is to help our communities thrive, and we know that an important building block is helping underserved youth realize their full potential and develop the skills that will lead to successful and fulfilling careers," says South Puget Sound Market President Brian Marlow. "An educated workforce is at the heart of a prosperous regional economy."

"The heart of our cohort model is the 12-year commitment we make to each scholar and their family from fifth grade through college graduation," said Rainier Scholars Tacoma Associate Executive Director Jennifer Ward. "By systematically removing barriers to a college education, we work to ensure that students of color are afforded the same opportunities as their classmates and can realize their dreams with boundless options."

About Rainier Scholars
Rainier Scholars offers a pathway to college graduation and career and leadership development for underrepresented students of color in the greater Seattle and Tacoma communities. Founded in 2000, our comprehensive 12-year program starts in fifth grade and provides personalized academic enrichment, leadership training, and career development support to students and their families. We believe that providing access to opportunities is key to building a more equitable society. For more information, visit

About KeyCorp

KeyCorp's roots trace back nearly 200 years to Albany, New York. Headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, Key is one of the nation's largest bank-based financial services companies, with assets of approximately $187 billion at June 30, 2024.

Key provides deposit, lending, cash management, and investment services to individuals and businesses in 15 states under the name KeyBank National Association through a network of approximately 1,000 branches and approximately 1,200 ATMs. Key also provides a broad range of sophisticated corporate and investment banking products, such as merger and acquisition advice, public and private debt and equity, syndications and derivatives to middle market companies in selected industries throughout the United States under the KeyBanc Capital Markets trade name. For more information, visit . KeyBank Member FDIC.

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Contact Info:
Spokesperson: KeyBank

SOURCE: KeyBank