State Rep. Vanessa Lowery Brown, D-Phila., chairwoman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, has announced the PLBC’s annual scholarship competition is open for the 2015-16 school year.

«I am pleased to announce that the PLBC will again play a role in helping minority students in their pursuit of higher education,” Brown said.

The scholarships are available for high school seniors and first-year college students who will be enrolled in an accredited two- or four-year Pennsylvania college or university.

Brown said the students applying for the scholarship must be a minority student, have a minimum grade-point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, reside in the legislative district of and be sponsored by a PLBC member, and demonstrate leadership qualities.

A 500-word essay on the student’s academic plans and career goals also must be submitted. “Interested and qualified students should move quickly to apply,” Brown said.

Only the first 250 applications submitted will be considered. The PLBC plans to award at least 10 scholarships this year. Each scholarship will be $1,000.

To obtain an application and more details about the program, students can visit www.pahouse.com/plbc and click on the Scholarships tab. If they have any additional questions about the PLBC Scholarship Program, applicants can contact Brown’s office at 717-772-6955. The deadline to submit an application is Thursday, April 23.

On Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams testified before City Council on behalf of the anti-crime organization Fight Crime: Invest in Kids, regarding the crime prevention impact of high quality pre-K. Mr. Williams will also speak to the importance of greater state funding for high quality pre-K programs.

The Philadelphia City Council Committee on Law and Government heard testimony on Bill 150005 that would let voters decide if the city should establish an independent commission to create a plan to implement and fund high-quality pre-k for every 3- and 4-year old in the City of Philadelphia. If approved, a question will be placed on the May Primary ballot.

Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) Board President, Leslie Russell Winder also be testified before City Council. Fight Crime: Invest in Kids and PCCY are among the 10 founding organizations of the Pre-K for PA campaign.

Center City Weekly Press – February 25, 2015 – Read article online