Improve Consulting and Training Group: Bagby, Palmer Memorial Scholarship

Purpose: To provide scholarships to graduating high school seniors from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District or its inner-ring suburbs who will be attending a qualified educational institution and meet eligibility criteria as described below.

About the Award: Improve Consulting and Training Group was founded by Dr. Ellen Burts-Cooper in 2006. Improve Consulting and Training Group provides personal and professional development training, coaching, and consultation. Improve works across various industries, including manufacturing, insurance, health care, financial services, academia and information technology. In addition to working with adults, Improve spends 20% of its time training and developing youth and young professionals. Improve makes it a policy that revenue received from direct youth training is to be given back, in some form, to the community. The Bagby, Palmer Memorial Scholarship was founded in 2011 as a way to give back specifically to the youth in Cleveland. The scholarship was named after Burts-Cooper’s mother and the mother of her husband, Selwyn Cooper. The fund was started to honor their strong belief in education as a way to transform lives and overcome difficult circumstances. Both mothers continuously stressed the power of education, but passed away before seeing Ellen and Selwyn obtain their advanced degrees. The scholarship is a way to pass on their desire for academic achievement as an opportunity for students to improve their lives and exceed their potential.

Eligibility:
• Pursuing undergraduate coursework acceptable toward a degree with a focus in STEM (science, technology, engineering, or math)

• Graduate of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District or a school in one of the following inner-ring suburbs: Bedford, Bedford Heights, Brook Park, Brooklyn, Brooklyn Heights, Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga Heights, East Cleveland, Euclid, Fairview Park, Garfield Heights, Lakewood, Linndale, Maple Heights, Newburgh Heights, Parma, Parma Heights, Shaker Heights, South Euclid, University Heights and Warrensville Heights

• Enrolling full-time in an accredited nonprofit educational institution

• 3.5 minimum GPA on a 4.0 grade scale

• Can demonstrate consistent community service for each year of high school (minimum of one significant project per year)

• Financial need

• Preference given to African American applicants

Application Method: Submit a Cleveland Foundation Scholarships General Application here.

Selection Process: Selection decisions will be based on eligibility and completed application requirements with regard to the stated purpose and desired criteria for award of this scholarship.

Award Info: The annual award amount will be based on the performance of the fund and number of applicants selected. Past awards have ranged from $1000 to $1,500. Formal notification of award will be made by College Now to the selected recipient(s). Award will be paid directly to the institution and must be applied to tuition, fees, books, supplies and/or equipment required for coursework.

Awarded Student Requirements:
1. Maintain full-time enrollment status

2. Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA

3. Perform at least one community service project per year

Renewal: Scholarship has historically been renewable for a maximum of 4 years, until attainment of the student's first degree, provided the student meets the recipient requirements and funding remains available.

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