Grant Award: American Honda Foundation ($25,000)

BDPA Education and Technology Foundation (BETF) is proud to acknowledge receipt of the largest single grant award in our 19-year history from the American Honda Foundation (AHF). AHF agreed to provide $25,000 funding to support our national Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship (SITES) program.

Our grant proposal was written in conjunction with the National BDPA Member Services business area. The grant proposal was good enough to earn us a site visit.  The visit was conducted by AHF's Donna Hammond-Cotton.  She traveled to Rochester, Minnesota to see an example of our SITES program. Past chapter president Betty Hutchins organized the visit. Mrs. Hammond-Cotton was able to meet with chapter students, alumni, corporate sponsors and the local school board. Mrs. Hammond-Cotton wrote,

"Your Southern Minnesota chapter really impressed me, they displayed such professionalism, dedication and possibilities for our next generation of leaders."

The contents of our grant proposal along with the evaluation by Mrs. Hammond-Cotton were provided to the AHF Board of Directors in late July. Mrs. Hammond gave us the informal results when she wrote,

"Congratulations! I'm hopeful by now that Betty has informed your organization that the American Honda Foundations' Board of Directors has decided to partner with the BDPA in its efforts of making a difference in the lives of our youth. In fact, the SITES program ranked number one out of the top 15 finalist! Not to mention that there were over 500 other proposals that we had to review for consideration this quarter."

About a week later we received the formal notification from the president of the American Honda Foundation:

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Dear Mr. Hicks,

On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, it is my pleasure to acknowledge to you our check in the amount of $25,000. It is our understanding that thsi grant will be used towards our partnership with the 'SITES: Student Information Technology Education & Scholarship' program.

We are pleased to contribute to the meaningful endeavor that the BDPA (Education and Technology) Foundation is making in the field of education. We wish you continued success.

Sincerely,
Gary Kessler, President
American Honda Foundation

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BETF is very excited about this successful grant effort. The grant funds will be used for the SITES program. It will assist in supporting the administrative operation of the National BDPA efforts to support its 45 chapters in preparing and bringing students to the National High School Computer Competition held at the national BDPA Technology Conference each year. A portion of the funding will go to BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter to support the exceptional work they are doing with the youth in Minnesota.

BETF will provide quarterly progress reports on the expenditure of these funds. Our quarterly progress report will include a financial summary and a narrative comment on development of the SITES program.

We want to give thanks to National BDPA VP-Member Services Paulette Johnson-Davis, BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter president Charlie Perkins, BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter past president Betty Hutchins and other members of the BDPA Southern Minnesota chapter for their support in processing this grant proposal.