University of Arkansas Receives $2.1 Million Donation from Walton Family Foundation

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Today the Walton Family Foundation announced a $2.1 million grant to the University of Arkansas to fund several programs within the College Access Initiative and the Center For Multicultural and Diversity Education. These funds will directly benefit students from Phillips County, Arkansas, and those who have graduated from public charter schools around the state.

“We are so grateful to the Walton Family Foundation for this wonderful gift,” said Chancellor G. David Gearhart. “The university is very committed to securing more opportunity for these very deserving students, but we cannot make the impact that we want without the help of our generous donors.”

This grant, the largest in university history going to diversity programs, will impact both current and future university students. As part of the program, university officials will expand ACT training for high school students and will also increase recruiting efforts at these schools. Additionally, students who are admitted to the university will be eligible for tutoring, mentoring and summer enrichment programs designed to increase both retention and graduation rates.

Charles Robinson is the university’s vice chancellor for diversity and community and is thrilled at what this grant means for these students.

“Ensuring students from economically depressed areas of Arkansas, like the Delta, are supported in their academic careers is a top priority for CMDE,” he said. “This gift will allow our team to build relationships with these students and their school administrators while the students are still in high school in an effort to ensure long-term success. This is a great win for the university and our current and future students.”

Scott Shirey has been educating students in Phillips County – a target area for this grant – for over a decade and is familiar with the foundation’s passion for educating children in the Delta.

"The Walton Family Foundation is a significant and longtime supporter of students in both Phillips County and public charter schools around the state,” he said. “To know their commitment to our students and their education will continue through their time at the University of Arkansas is inspiring. Transforming students’ lives through education is not an easy endeavor and this grant will help these young adults have a better life than generations before them."

About the Walton Family Foundation,/p>

When Sam and Helen Walton launched their modest retail business in 1962, one of their goals was to increase opportunity and improve the lives of others along the way. This guiding principle has played a pivotal role in the phenomenal growth of their small enterprise into a global retail leader. This principle also drives the philanthropic mission of the Walton Family Foundation.

Today the foundation is more focused than ever on sustaining the Walton’s timeless small-town values and deep commitment to making life better for individuals and communities alike. By working with grantees and collaborating with other philanthropic organizations, the foundation is dedicated to making a positive difference in three focus areas:

• K-12 education reform
• Freshwater and marine conservation
• Quality of life initiatives in our home region

During 2012, the foundation invested $432 million in domestic and international projects that addressed significant social and environmental issues, and sought to create exciting new opportunities. The foundation continues to implement and expand grant making to fund a positive difference in many diverse communities – and in the lives of the people who call them home. For more information, visit www.waltonfamilyfoundation.org/ or facebook.com/waltonfamilyfoundation