Breaking Barriers: How The Community Foundation Tampa Bay is Providing Opportunities for Marginalized Students Through STEM Summer Camps

The Community Foundation Tampa Bay is a 501(c)(3) public charity that aims to create meaningful and lasting impact in the community by connecting people and resources. They have recently provided a grant to offer partial or full scholarships to campers from low-income families, allowing marginalized students access to important STEM summer programming. Currently, 32 families are receiving scholarship assistance, accounting for about one-third of all campers. The average partial scholarship amount given out for 2024 is $480, which is more than half of the total camp cost of $799.

Kristen Rynerson ’10, the conference and pre-college coordinator at Eckerd, expresses excitement about the number of scholarships offered for the Summer Science Splash Camp. She acknowledges that the cost of the overnight residential camp is high, but providing financial assistance allows marginalized students to access important STEM summer programming that they might not otherwise be able to afford.

The Community Foundation Tampa Bay’s mission involves supporting initiatives that benefit the community and provide opportunities for those in need. By offering scholarships for summer camps like the Summer Science Splash Camp, they are making sure that everyone has an equal chance to learn and grow.