Delaware News

Lt. Governor, School Districts, Philanthropist Launch Monetary Awards Program for Black Students

Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long | News | Office of the Lieutenant Governor | Date Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2024


Lt. Governor Hall-Long Launches the STAR-Delaware Merit Program.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Surrounded by school and community leaders, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long announced a new program Tuesday to support the educational journeys of Delaware students from minoritized communities.   

STAR-Delaware Merit is a statewide essay-based merit awards initiative coordinated by Lt. Governor Hall-Long’s Office and participating public school districts. In the wake of COVID-19, the education of our kids has never been more important. The pandemic has had an undeniable impact on students, especially Black students. A study by the Black Education Research Collective (BERC) at Columbia University’s Teachers College, took a deep dive in how the pandemic affected the education of Black students, citing the importance of schools responding to the social, emotional, and academic needs of Black students.  

STAR-Delaware Merit seeks to directly engage sixth to eighth graders from minoritized communities through creative writing around their higher education aspirations. As part of the program, qualifying students can submit essays to share their educational dreams, including what classes they are taking to help achieve those dreams. Students are eligible for $100-$150 awards. The initiative is funded solely through private dollars by the STAR Scholarship Foundation and philanthropist Paul Peck, which has supported student aspirations in other states like Montgomery County, Maryland.  

Unveiled Tuesday at DETV studios, a panel moderated by Lt. Governor Hall-Long that included members of the Divine Nine, Christina and Capital School Districts, and local leaders, discussed the benefit for students, touching on the power of mentoring, family engagement, and financial empowerment. 

“Schools lay the foundation for the success of our children, and it is paramount to support our students in their quest to follow their dreams. That’s the beauty of this new initiative: We are encouraging our kids to envision their future and how they can achieve it by putting pen to paper,” said Lt. Governor Hall-Long. “I am so thankful for Paul Peck, the STAR Scholarship Foundation, and the Delaware school district leaders who will be piloting this initiative for their students. I look forward to seeing our kids’ dreams take flight with the support of mentors and an inclusive school environment.” 

Participating public school districts will share information with their school communities and vet applications. Here are the inaugural participating school districts in the soft launch: 

  • Red Clay School District 
  • Christina School District 
  • Colonial School District 
  • Capital School District 
  • Caesar Rodney School District 
  • Laurel School District 

School districts with any questions should reach out to the Lt. Governor’s Office at this contact form.  

Photo Caption: From left to right, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, State Auditor Lydia York, Christina School District’s Paul Dunford, Tech+Equity Executive Director Thais Greca, Capital School District Superintendent Dr. Vilicia Cade, and Dr. Keith Pettiford, psychologist and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. participate in a discussion around STAR-Delaware Merit. 

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Lt. Governor, School Districts, Philanthropist Launch Monetary Awards Program for Black Students

Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long | News | Office of the Lieutenant Governor | Date Posted: Thursday, April 11, 2024


Lt. Governor Hall-Long Launches the STAR-Delaware Merit Program.

WILMINGTON, Del. — Surrounded by school and community leaders, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long announced a new program Tuesday to support the educational journeys of Delaware students from minoritized communities.   

STAR-Delaware Merit is a statewide essay-based merit awards initiative coordinated by Lt. Governor Hall-Long’s Office and participating public school districts. In the wake of COVID-19, the education of our kids has never been more important. The pandemic has had an undeniable impact on students, especially Black students. A study by the Black Education Research Collective (BERC) at Columbia University’s Teachers College, took a deep dive in how the pandemic affected the education of Black students, citing the importance of schools responding to the social, emotional, and academic needs of Black students.  

STAR-Delaware Merit seeks to directly engage sixth to eighth graders from minoritized communities through creative writing around their higher education aspirations. As part of the program, qualifying students can submit essays to share their educational dreams, including what classes they are taking to help achieve those dreams. Students are eligible for $100-$150 awards. The initiative is funded solely through private dollars by the STAR Scholarship Foundation and philanthropist Paul Peck, which has supported student aspirations in other states like Montgomery County, Maryland.  

Unveiled Tuesday at DETV studios, a panel moderated by Lt. Governor Hall-Long that included members of the Divine Nine, Christina and Capital School Districts, and local leaders, discussed the benefit for students, touching on the power of mentoring, family engagement, and financial empowerment. 

“Schools lay the foundation for the success of our children, and it is paramount to support our students in their quest to follow their dreams. That’s the beauty of this new initiative: We are encouraging our kids to envision their future and how they can achieve it by putting pen to paper,” said Lt. Governor Hall-Long. “I am so thankful for Paul Peck, the STAR Scholarship Foundation, and the Delaware school district leaders who will be piloting this initiative for their students. I look forward to seeing our kids’ dreams take flight with the support of mentors and an inclusive school environment.” 

Participating public school districts will share information with their school communities and vet applications. Here are the inaugural participating school districts in the soft launch: 

  • Red Clay School District 
  • Christina School District 
  • Colonial School District 
  • Capital School District 
  • Caesar Rodney School District 
  • Laurel School District 

School districts with any questions should reach out to the Lt. Governor’s Office at this contact form.  

Photo Caption: From left to right, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long, State Auditor Lydia York, Christina School District’s Paul Dunford, Tech+Equity Executive Director Thais Greca, Capital School District Superintendent Dr. Vilicia Cade, and Dr. Keith Pettiford, psychologist and member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. participate in a discussion around STAR-Delaware Merit. 

image_printPrint


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.