In 1945 a group of civic-minded citizens formed Evergreen Scholarship Association to recognize an outstanding graduating senior from Evergreen High School, then the only high school in the Evergreen-Conifer area.

Donations from citizens, the high school PTA, and the Evergreen Women’s Club raised $11,000 in seed money. In the spring of 1946, the association awarded two $150.00 two-year scholarships. The number and amount of scholarships increased as contributions grew, and the organization continued to award scholarships in May of each successive year.

In 1992, Evergreen Scholarship Association merged with Bootstraps, Inc., a local organization dedicated to giving interest-free loans to students who might have dropped through the cracks but that counselors and other school officials felt had promise. Some of the Bootstraps loans were for vocational and trade schools. This combined organization could better address the needs of student applicants by offering scholarships, loans, and a combination of both. The name became Evergreen Scholarship/Bootstraps, Inc. (ESBI)

In 1999, ESBI received a three-year $20,000 per year matching grant. This encouraged ESBI to raise additional funds by expanding a fairly new program, Create A Scholarship, which had been launched in October, 1998. The expanded program added more than 20 newly created scholarships in its first year alone, significantly expanding ESBI’s ability to help students, especially those with financial need. In 2001, ESBI added the Create a Bootstraps Loan component.

ESBI offers scholarships based on financial need along with several criteria, including academics, leadership, community volunteerism, career choice and excellence in a variety of areas such as sports, music and science. Loans are need-based and interest free, and usually are guaranteed for 4 years of a students’ college education, if the student applies to renew the loan subsequent to the year of the original award.

ESBI is an all volunteer organization with one part time employee. The majority of funds raised from donations goes directly to support mountain area seniors.

WHOM DO WE SERVE?ESBI continues to serve the school population in the articulation areas of Evergreen and Conifer High Schools, and for certain awards, in the Evergreen portion of Clear Creek County. ESBI also administers scholarships for the trust of the Mountain Protective Association, a non-profit community organization otherwise abandoned in the 1970’s. MPA awards are for students from the above-mentioned areas, and from prescribed parts of Park, Clear Creek and Gilpin counties.

WHY DOES ESBI DESERVE THIS AWARD?
Almost all families want a better life for their kids. More than eight out of ten Americans say that having a college degree is important to getting ahead, and that it has become as important as a high school diploma used to be. The cost of attending a two-year community college has risen by 53% in the last decade; four-year schools have experienced an 85% jump. Unlike many loans and scholarships, ESBI money can be used at any school in the country; however, more than half of ESBI recipients go to in-state public colleges or universities.

Since its humble beginnings, ESBI has grown to being able to offer more than 115 new and continuing scholarships and loans for high school seniors in 2006. In 2006 the applicants numbered 89 students from Conifer, Evergreen, Clear Creek and Platte Canyon High Schools. Many scholarships and loans have been awarded to students who are the first in the family to attend college.

Many ESBI recipients have returned to their Colorado mountain roots to work and raise their families and are continuing the tradition of giving back to their communities.

This entry was posted on Friday, October 20th, 2006 at 4:17 pm and is filed under Education, Scholarship. Tags: College, Education, Grant, Loans, Scholarship, Student. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.