Today, only 3% of Fortune 500 CEOs, 5% of senior executives, and 10% of scientists and engineers are either Black or Latinx, despite the fact that over 30% of Americans identify as Black or Latinx. Thrive Scholars provides our most talented and ambitious black and African American low-income students with the opportunities they need to transform their college success into thriving careers and fill senior leadership positions.
Thrive Scholars began as a scholarship program focused on high-achieving, low-income Black and African American students in South Central Los Angeles, who have historically been trapped in cycles of poverty. Established in 2001 under the name South Central Scholars (SCS), they quickly realized the need for a multistage, integrated program of support. SCS soon began supporting a broader group of Scholars throughout college with scholarships, academic intervention, academic and social-emotional support, career guidance, and networking. Within a few years, SCS was yielding impressive results: 90% of scholars who were attending Harvard, Brown, Williams, USC, and other very selective schools were graduating within 6 years.
After a series of programmatic innovations, SCS replicated the enhanced program as SCS Noonan Scholars in Boston in 2014. After three years of successful outcomes in Boston, they expanded nationally and changed their name to Thrive Scholars to reflect the organization’s commitment to helping their Scholars thrive in college and through their chosen careers.
A cornerstone of the Thrive model is that these highly talented students graduate without debt. 40 of the top colleges in the country offer Thrive Scholars full financial aid, including room and board. Another 40 colleges offer aid combined with very small loans. In addition to the financial aid, Thrive provides Scholars with a small, unrestricted stipend so that the students can take full advantage of the college experience. Together, these 80 colleges and Thrive allow Scholars to enter the workforce prepared, unencumbered , and ready to contribute in their careers.
Partnering With The Lynch Foundation
For over three decades, The Lynch Foundation has partnered with organizations that help kids get a positive start in life. After being introduced to Thrive’s new leadership in 2021, recognizing the whole-student and root cause focus of Thrive Scholars’ approach, the Foundation awarded Thrive a significant multi-year grant to serve more Boston area scholars even as they continue the national scaling of their program.