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Centennial Scholarship Fund

Since 1959, the Long Beach Bar Association has proudly awarded scholarships to high achieving, college-bound high school students from across Long Beach in order to make the financial burden of education more manageable. Created as the charitable arm of the Association, the Long Beach Bar Foundation today manages the Scholarship Fund, which continues to offer our members and community partners a way to give back to our city and enrich future generations.

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Don Knabe Safe Surrender Scholarship Fund

The Safely Surrendered Baby Law was initiated by former L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe and signed into state law in 2006. The law gives parents a chance to surrender a baby three days old or younger with an employee at any Los Angeles County hospital or fire station. The Don Knabe Safe Surrender Scholarship Fund was established in 2014 to provide scholarships for children safely surrendered in Los Angeles County. Youths adopted as a Safely Surrendered Baby in Los Angeles County are eligible for the scholarship at age 17. The scholarship may be used for any purpose toward higher education. Learn more about the Safe Surrender Program at LaCounty.gov and Ican4kids.org.

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Douglas C. Stewart, Sr. Memorial Academic Fund for LBUSD Students

Douglas Christopher Stewart, Sr. was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. He matriculated to Long Beach on a football scholarship to California State University, Long Beach. Douglas graduated from Cal State Long Beach with a degree in Physical Education and later earned his Administrative Credential. While at Cal State Long Beach, he pledged Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. Douglas worked as a Campus Security Officer, Football Coach, Teacher, and Administrator during his time in Long Beach Unified School District. The majority of his years were spent at Millikan High School. Douglas retired in 2012 after 36 years of service to the youth in LBUSD. Douglas was a life-long educator and champion for his students, especially those who were considered academically or behaviorally at-risk. He gave his all to ensure that his students had a pathway to success, including a college education. Douglas was a lover of music and was an old-school music DJ. He was also an amazing baker, with his delicious cream cheese pound cakes known and loved all throughout the city of Long Beach! Douglas leaves to uphold his legacy, his wife Elyssa; children Sean, Nichole, Andre’, Douglas, Jr., Dwight, Bryan, and Brittanie; many relatives and friends; and a multitude of students whose lives were positively impacted by “Big Stew.” This charitable fund at the Long Beach Community Foundation has been created to support students who graduated from a Long Beach Unified High School and enroll at least part-time at Long Beach City College. Eligible students will have earned a high school GPA between 2.0 and 3.0 and the award can be used to pay for college tuition, fees, or books. Annual distributions from this designated fund will be made directly to Long Beach City College with the goal to support a minimum of five, $500 Douglas C. Stewart Memorial Academic Scholarships for students each year.

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Early Childhood Educator Scholarship Fund

The ECE Workforce Taskforce, with the financial support and guidance of the Rudolph J. and Daphne A. Munzer Foundation, has established the Early Childhood Educator Scholarship Fund through the Long Beach Community Foundation. The scholarship will be awarded to current employees of Child Lane, Long Beach Day Nursery, Un Mundo de Amigos, and the Long Beach YMCA.

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EXP Quasi-Endowed Agency Fund

EXP believes every high school student should have equal access to education and career opportunities that will help them reach their full potential. Established in 1999, EXP prepares students for a better life. EXP programs help young people gain experience, unlock doors, and build the confidence they need to succeed in school, career, and life. EXP partners with local industries and high schools to deliver an innovative, career-based curriculum that inspires students from low- and middle-income neighborhoods to explore high-skill, high-growth career opportunities. Together, they help empower educators, engage professionals, and produce resilient high school graduates who are prepared for college and careers.

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Fremont Save Our Schools Endowment Fund

Our mission is to promote achievement in Science and Technology through exciting educational programming for all students at Fremont Elementary School. We believe in building a strong foundation in the sciences to inspire our next generation of inventors, scientists, and scholars.

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Gene "Skip" Rowland Scholarship Fund

Gene “Skip” Rowland was a coach for all ages, serving the community of Long Beach as a coach and player for more than seven decades. He was a three-year letterman at Woodrow Wilson High School in three sports and was an all-CIF choice in football and baseball. In 1950 he returned to his alma mater as a coach, coaching football, baseball, and golf until he retired in 1988. Upon retirement, he started the annual Skip Rowland golf tournament to benefit the Wilson athletics which continues today. Upon his death on December 17, 2011, the Gene “Skip” Rowland Scholarship Fund was created to make monies available for scholarships and/or other athletic-related expenses at Woodrow Wilson High School.

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Larry Acterman Public Education Fund

Having taught for 33 years in the Long Beach Unified School District, Larry Acterman is remembered as a dedicated social studies teacher and mentor. A tireless advocate for public education, he championed improvements in the public school system at the local, regional and national levels. To honor their father’s lifelong commitment to public education, his children Steve Acterman and Amy (Acterman) Tenderich established the Larry Acterman Public Education Award (LAPEA) as a permanently-endowed scholarship fund at the Long Beach Community Foundation, with the goal of encouraging and supporting students interested in pursuing a career as a California public school teacher.

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Los Angeles Challenge Fund

The Los Angeles Challenge is a charitable organization with the goal of providing economically disadvantaged children equal opportunities to succeed. As a scholarship organization, we help provide the necessary financial means for each supported child to obtain a quality education by way of attending accredited private schools. Our goal is to promote positive change in the lives of our students and their families by providing opportunities for achievement through high-quality K-12 education.

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Michael D. Cervantes Impossible Dream Fund

Michael D. Cervantes was born and raised in Southern California and had a serious passion for life and family. At the young age of 38, despite being in excellent condition and an avid triathlete, Michael suddenly passed away due to a rare heart condition, cutting short what was already shaping to be a transformational life. Professionally, Michael dedicated his skills to projects that would help to accomplish what he often described as his ‘impossible dream,’ alluding to the famous song from Don Quixote’s performance in Man of La Mancha. In the epic tale, Don Quixote is challenged to explain his passion for such lofty and dreamy quests. Quixote responds by singing “The Impossible Dream” by Joe Darion. To dream the impossible dream To fight the unbeatable foe To bear with unbearable sorrow To run where the brave dare not go To right the unrightable wrong… To reach the unreachable star. -Don Quixote Michael’s impossible dream was to save the world through sustainably designed architecture. He was committed to this quest and it is the purpose of the Michael D. Cervantes Impossible Dream Fund to continue his legacy by funding scholarships and other enterprises that encourage California’s youth to explore energy-efficient architecture, sustainable design and its unique intersection with affordable housing. Michael grew up in Diamond Bar, California graduated from UC Berkeley, and started his family in Long Beach, California in 2009. During his studies, Michael spent time volunteering for Habitat for Humanity International and attended Princeton University as a part of the prestigious Ford-Melon Summer Research Program. His wife Martha, son Mateo, parents George and Rose Cervantes, three brothers, and a host of other loving family and friends survive Michael. We thank you for your contribution and for helping to further Michael’s legacy.

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OJS - Henry J. Meyer Family Fund

The mission of Operation Jump Start (OJS) is to help low-resourced, high-potential first-generation students get in, stay in, and graduate from a four-year college. We do this by providing academic support, mentoring, and exposure to a broader world. Since 1994, OJS has provided the comprehensive resources and mentoring needed to enable youth in underserved communities to reach their full potential through a college education. Our organization has an established and successful track record of success in providing access to higher education for low-income students of color – a demographic group significantly underrepresented on four-year college campuses locally, throughout California, and across the nation.

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Precious Lamb Preschool Endowment Fund

All monies will go directly toward our Preschool program, benefiting homeless children living in local shelters. Students attend Precious Lamb for free five full days a week while their parent/guardian attends treatment and other programs that will improve their family’s quality of life. Children develop school readiness through an emphasis on academic, social, and emotional development with a uniquely low 1:4 teacher ratio. Studies show that children who receive quality preschool education are 3x more likely to graduate high school and earn 25% more in their careers. By creating systemic and social change in children and their parents, Precious Lamb can achieve its mission “To break the cycle of homelessness, one child at a time”. PRECIOUS LAMB “BUILDING OUR FUTURE” ENDOWMENT Since 2002, Precious Lamb Preschool has served hundreds of at-risk and homeless children ages 18 months to 5 years old in the greater Long Beach area. Through a uniquely low 1:4 ratio, each child receives the focused and nurturing attention of our experienced teachers. Honoring that low ratio has created a waiting list of children in need of our school, and two years ago we were able to open a second classroom. Since then the need has continued to grow, and find ourselves again needing to expand our Preschool program. The expansion process includes cleaning, preparing, and modifying an unused classroom within our facility, and sustaining the costs of the classroom, including teacher salaries and curriculum, up to $100,000 a year. With the addition of a third classroom, we can serve 40+ students at a time, and up to 100 children a year, preparing them for kindergarten and helping to break the cycle of homelessness in our community.

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Ramon Lopez Education Opportunity Fund

Ramon Lopez came to America with nothing but a 3rd-grade education. For the next 40 years, he worked tirelessly as a busboy in order to provide a better opportunity for his three children. When Ramon died of complications stemming from Covid-19, he left behind an amazing legacy of three remarkable children – each achieving the academic success of any parent’s dreams. To honor their father’s legacy, Ramon’s children have co-founded this fund with one of their former teachers, with the goal of creating academic opportunities for generations of students in need. This fund will support scholarships to graduating seniors who are first in their family to attend a two- or four-year university and who are at or below the poverty threshold.

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Sarah Childs Krueger Foundation Charity Fund

The Sarah Childs Krueger Foundation Charity Fund will benefit local schools and charities.

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Wilson High School Alumni Foundation Fund

The Wilson High School Alumni Foundation is an organization of Wilson High School Alumni dedicated to supporting Woodrow Wilson Classical High School activities and programs that benefit the students’ social and academic experience. Its purpose is exclusively charitable. This Foundation serves as a connection between Wilson and alumni, providing information, networking, and social opportunities. Specifically, your funds are used for student activities, such as graduation expenses (no funding whatsoever provided by LBUSD), student formals/prom, student rallies, and more. In addition, many building and site improvements are needed (our school is approaching our 100-year anniversary) and funding is desperately needed to maintain and/or renovate various campus locations.