Supporting College Park Scholars
A community of Leaders, Donors, & Volunteers
Leadership Opportunities
College Park Scholars embraces support from our many students, alumni, parents, faculty/staff, and friends of the program. Our community continues to grow and develop in new and exciting directions because of these community leaders. Current opportunities for leadership roles in our community include:
- Alumni
- College Park Scholars Alumni Association, Inc. (CPSAA)
- CPSAA Board of Directors
- CPSAA Alumni Council
- CPSAA Committees
- Parents
- University of Maryland Parents Association (UMPA)
- UMPA Board
- UMPA College Park Scholars Subcommittee
Giving Opportunities
There are many opportunities to support College Park Scholars. In addition to special campaigns, we have ongoing efforts directed toward enhancing the students, faculty, and initiatives of the program. The categories listed below are supported through generous gifts on an annual basis.
- College Park Scholars Co-Curricular Scholarship
- Funds raised for this scholarship will provide financial assistance to Scholars students who could benefit from support for their participation in Scholars sponsored travel study experiences, research and Discovery projects, student leadership development, for-credit internships, or service-learning initiatives.
- The Directors Fund for Excellence
- This Fund provides for a wide range of support to events, initiatives, and learning opportunities, which are otherwise unfunded. Be it supporting advances in technology in the Scholars community or providing a faculty member or graduate student conference expenses to present a paper, your gift provides us with the flexibility to capitalize on unforeseen opportunities.
- The Campaign for the Cambridge Community Center
- This expansion and renovation project will provide our community of Scholars with improved classroom facilities, meeting areas, laboratories, and centers for academic success. The current community center includes a convenience store used by students, faculty, and visitors, and several multi-purpose classrooms that provide for excellent space for interactions between faculty and the Scholars student body. By expanding and renovating the center, we hope to create and provide the optimal space to allow for students to succeed, not only in academics, but in other aspects of college life. Some potential plans include new state-of-the-art media labs, practice rooms dedicated to the performing arts, and a coffeehouse lounge area.
- Support of Curriculum Innovation
- One of the most important resources at Scholars is our faculty. Our community is viewed by many as a laboratory for new ideas, teaching methods, and student-directed research. Many of these opportunities become available through the innovative instruction and materials used by our faculty. Scholars faculty are always looking for new ways to reach the students through experiential learning, experts as guest speakers, and state-of-the-art technology resources.
- Support of Student Leadership Development
- Our Students are an integral part of keeping the Scholars program at the front of the national living-learning landscape. In addition to their scholarship, several of our Scholars support the program through internships, student employment, and student volunteerism. These students help to maintain and expand the success of the program by assuming leadership for events such as the annual Charity Softball Tournament, Citation Ceremony, and this year, the Scholars trip to New York. They assist in raising the funds necessary to run these exciting and innovative events, help to develop and manage the logistical plan, and see it through to execution. Additionally, conferences such as the 2004 Wakonse Undergraduate Conference in Michigan, provide the resources and training needed to keep our student leaders stimulated with new ideas and methods of team building. Students will be able to return to the University and use their newfound learning to implement the changes needed to ensure the programs' success.
- Support of Undergraduate Research
- The Discovery Project is a specialized research program that allows for Scholars students to work with mentors to answer one or more questions about their world. Some of the past project titles include, "Principles and Practices of Anti-Racism Work", "What Makes the Greatest Films of All-Time", and "What Are the Influences of Gun Control Laws on the U.S., Canada, and England." These projects give students the time, the means, the access, the encouragement, and the reward of finding new information and contributing to our society's body of knowledge.
- "Stake in Scholars" - the Annual Faculty/Staff Campaign
- Historically, many of our strongest supporters are members of our community of current and former faculty and staff. While these individuals give selflessly of their time when they are 'on the clock', we are grateful that so many continue to give beyond their time, mentorship, and leadership at Scholars.
