March 6, 2009

Challenge grant will help Cristo Rey strengthen educational programs

Logo of Providence Cristo Rey High School in IndianapolisSpecial to The Criterion

Providence Cristo Rey High School in Indianapolis has been awarded a $405,000 challenge grant to support the school’s mission of providing a quality education for Indianapolis youths from families with limited financial means.

The challenge grant was awarded by The Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation. This grant is the largest gift from an Indiana foundation that the school has received.

In announcing the grant on Feb. 25, school officials said that funds from the grant would be used to strengthen its educational programs, help with expenses related to its corporate work-study program, and expand its math and reading classes for students who need extra academic support.

“I am most grateful to The Glick Fund for this grant,” said the school’s president, Providence Sister Jeanne Hagelskamp. “We will now be reaching out to our current donors and others, asking them to invest in us as well so that we can earn the maximum value of this funding.”

In order for Providence Cristo Rey to receive the funds from the challenge grant, it has to raise an additional $405,000 from donors.

“We’re thrilled that The Glick Fund is investing in such a powerful and important program,” said David Barrett, president of the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Family Foundation and adviser to The Glick Fund. “This school proves that income doesn’t have to be a barrier to receiving a first-class education.”

Combining college preparatory classes with its work-study program, Providence Cristo Rey High School makes a Catholic secondary education affordable to youths from families with limited financial resources. Students earn 75 percent of their tuition by working five full days a month in corporate internships. They also attend classes when they are not at work.

The school is a sponsored ministry of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.

Anyone interested in making a donation to help the school meet the challenge offered by The Glick Fund may donate at the school’s Web site, www.pcrhs.com, or contact the advancement office at 317-860-1000, ext. 101. †

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