Connecticut has the widest achievement gap in the nation between poor students and their wealthier peers. Fairfield County, one of the most highly educated and wealthiest regions in the US, is part of the problem, with one of the nation’s widest achievement gaps between Latino and African-American students and their white counterparts. The disparity is great. The need is even greater. And the potential for positive change is infinite.
The Charter Oak Challenge Foundation was founded to help children and families who have the ability to succeed but need financial support to realize their potential. Its founder, Andy Boas, wanted to improve the languishing conditions in Bridgeport by funding a meaningful program for children’s education.
In 2001 he started the Charter Oak Scholarship Program, which gives qualified students $10,000 over four years, a laptop computer and an adult mentor during college. The scholarship program already dwarfs other programs in Bridgeport.
Charter Oak has donated more than $10 million since its inception. The Foundation’s primary goal is to support and initiate programs that directly serve the needs of children living in underserved communities in Bridgeport, Connecticut.
