CollegeReady creates hope and brighter futures for youth of all backgrounds in Northeast Wisconsin. Through scholarships and college readiness programming, we help students break down barriers to higher education and change their lives.
Founded in 1962 as Scholarships, Inc., we are a local nonprofit funded by forward-thinking donors and backed by a diverse group of champions and volunteers. In addition to the financial and academic support this provides our youth, it also sends a message of reassurance: that their community believes in them, cares for them, and wants them to succeed.
With our college readiness program, NEW Scholars, and our legacy of awarding millions of dollars in scholarships to thousands of students, CollegeReady is committed to helping local youth make their college and career dreams come true.
Nine Green Bay community leaders formed Scholarships, Inc. to financially assist and encourage worthy local high school students to seek higher education. This first year’s scholarships were awarded to 16 students and totaled $7,550.
Thanks to the generous bequest of longtime Door County resident Pearl Noren, Scholarships, Inc. added the Door County scholarship program.
The organization began awarding scholarships to students attending technical colleges.
Scholarships, Inc. announces its three-year pilot college readiness program, NEW Scholars. The program will help sixth-grade students become college application and scholarship ready through reading, writing and character-development enrichment. Additionally, Scholarships, Inc. launched its brand-new online scholarship application.
Scholarships, Inc. recruited the first-ever cohort of NEW Scholars, which was announced at our annual Lamp of Knowledge Celebration. The event featured special guest Erin Gruwell – New York Times best-selling author, mentor and inspiration behind the Paramount Pictures movie The Freedom Writers. Ms. Gruwell gave a motivating presentation to students during the afternoon, and was our keynote speaker during the evening dinner, award ceremony and NEW Scholars introduction.
After careful evaluation, Scholarships, Inc. changes its name to CollegeReady!
Our new name, as well as a fresh logo and tagline, better communicates and more directly describes the multi-faceted programming we offer to students in our community. We not only provide funding to help students pay for college, we also help them prepare to earn a degree through our NEW Scholars college readiness program.
Our first-ever NEW Scholars graduates – the Class of 2021 – proudly crossed the stage at the Lamp of Knowledge Celebration to receive their college scholarship!
Most of these students have been participating in our college readiness program since the sixth grade, and all are becoming the first person in their family to attend college. They celebrated among family and friends, and received a lot of well-deserved applause from their community!
CollegeReady does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of any applicable protected classification including, but not limited to: race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations. These activities and operations include, but are not limited to, hiring and firing of staff, selection of volunteers and vendors, advertising for available scholarships, selection of scholarship recipients and college readiness program participants, and the provision of related services. CollegeReady is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of its staff, volunteers, vendors, program participants, applicants, and scholarship recipients.