(LINCOLN Neb. (May 16, 2003) - Organizations based in Omaha, Lincoln, Broken Bow and Fremont will share over $100,000 in community grants recently awarded by EducationQuest Foundation.

Girl Scouts-Great Plains Council in Omaha received $30,000 to support and expand the Young Women’s Club - a program at Benson High School that promotes higher education opportunities for at-risk female teenagers through after-school activities and visits to Nebraska colleges.

The Lincoln Literacy Council received $23,250 to support its Basic Adult Literacy Project – a program that serves those who speak English but need to improve their basic reading and writing skills to achieve higher education.

The Chicano Awareness Center in Omaha received $23,000 to expand its Parent School Partnership – a program that prepares Latino parents to become more deeply involved in their students’ education, increasing the likelihood of their students’ accessing postsecondary education.

Central Plains Center for Services in Broken Bow was awarded $18,504 to launch Success through Education - a program with a goal to increase the availability of higher education for at-risk youth in Blaine, Custer, Garfield, Loup and Sherman counties.

The Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce Foundation received $4,700 to support its
School-To-Career program that helps young people prepare for their future by encouraging them to use their school years to the fullest potential.

The Cornhusker Council, Boy Scouts of America received $3,500 for its Learning for Life program. The funding will provide instructional materials that focus on character education, career awareness, and the advantages of postsecondary education. The materials will go to 700 students in 16 southeastern Nebraska counties.

“These programs help us achieve our mission of improving access to higher education in Nebraska and we’re proud to support them,” said EducationQuest President Liz Fieselman.

Since founded in 1998, EducationQuest has disbursed over $ 1.1 million in community grants to organizations across the state with programs that enhance college access.

Nebraska non-profit organizations interested in applying for an EducationQuest grant can view the Community Grants guidelines in the Community Agency section at www.EducationQuest.org.

EducationQuest Foundation is a private, nonprofit organization with a mission to improve access to higher education in Nebraska. Through a permanent endowment, EducationQuest provides free college planning services at its locations in Kearney, Lincoln and Omaha; funds need-based scholarship programs; and supports community organizations that enhance college access. For more information, call EducationQuest Foundation, headquartered in Lincoln, at 800-303-3745 or visit www.EducationQuest.org.