Nearly 3,300 Attend Ford Driving Dreams Tour

Nearly 3,300 Attend 

Ford Driving Dreams Tour - Ford Partners with USHLI & ASPIRA IL, Inc. in Chicago, IL and East Chicago, IN

Ford Motor Company Fund partnered with USHLI and ASPIRA Illinois, Inc. to launch the Ford Driving Dreams Tour. The Tour included seven high schools in Chicago and East Chicago. Approximately 3,245 students, teachers, counselors, administrators, and school board members attended.    Scholarships totaling $50,000 will be awarded to students at participating schools. Schools will also receive $25,000 in grants to help defray the costs of campus visits and other costs incurred in the process of exposing interested students to more post-secondary opportunities. Students will also compete in an essay writing contest to be eligible to win a$5,000 scholarship as well as other prizes including tablets. All scholarship recipients and essay winners and their parents will be recognized at USHLI's National Conference on February 13, 2015. The events featured nationally prominent motivational speaker Roy Juarez, Jr., a favorite among students of all ages from middle school to college. Mr. Joedis Avila, Community Outreach Manager at the Ford Motor Company Fund, also addressed the students and presented a check to each participating school.  USHLI is very grateful to the Ford Motor Company and the Ford Motor Company Fund for its generous sponsorship of the Ford Driving Dreams Tour, as well as the leadership at all participating schools. USHLI also appreciates the extensive media coverage received including television, radio, and print.   Photo credit: Zuno Photographic/U.Bedia. The SLS is USHLI's flagship youth program. The program is designed to motivate students to improve their academic performance, graduate and pursue some level of post-secondary education.  An estimated 81,786 have been served to date this year in 15 states. For more information about the Student Leadership Series, interested persons should contact Dr. Juan Andrade at docandrade@ushli.org.