Simon Youth Foundation Launches Application Period for National Scholarship Program
SYF’s Scholarship Program is Part of the National Simon Supports Education Initiative
Boca Raton, FL – Since the inception of Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) in 1998, shoppers at Simon Malls, Mills, and Premium Outlets have been among SYF’s most ardent supporters, contributing millions of dollars to support SYF’s mission to help students graduate. As a thank you to these loyal supporters, SYF is proud to once again help a deserving graduating senior living near Town Center at Boca Raton pursue a college education.
Simon Youth Community Scholarships are awarded in every community across the country that is home to a Simon Mall, Mills, or Premium Outlets center. Students may apply between September 1, 2019 and February 19, 2020 at syf.org/scholarships.
Scholarship recipients are eligible for a one-time $1,500 scholarship, which may be applied to tuition at an accredited college, university, vocational or technical school. Students who will be graduating high school in 2020 and live in the community surrounding Town Center at Boca Raton are eligible.
The scholarship program is part of a larger initiative called Simon Supports Education, which includes several opportunities designed to engage mall patrons in support of SYF’s mission. Consumers can support SYF in a variety of ways while shopping at Simon malls including purchasing an SYF Visa Simon Giftcard. One dollar from the sale of each gift card directly funds the Foundation’s scholarship and graduation programs. In addition, shoppers can opt to donate a Simon Giftcard balance to SYF. The scholarships awarded at the ceremony are funded largely by Simon Property Group employee and shopper donations.
“At Simon Youth Foundation, we are committed to helping students graduate and pursue their dreams through education,” said Dr. J. Michael Durnil, President and CEO, SYF. “We strongly believe that cost should not prevent students from furthering their education. With the incredible support of our corporate partner, Simon, and its Simon Supports Education initiative, we are humbled to help eliminate this financial burden through SYF’s scholarship programs.”
In 2019, SYF awarded more than $1.6 million in scholarships to more than 407 graduating seniors. Over 20 years, SYF has awarded more than $18 million in post-secondary scholarships to 5,000 students. Town Center at Boca Raton has awarded scholarships to 26 high school seniors in the Boca Raton area through the Simon Youth Scholarship program.
In addition to the community scholarships, 11 regional awards called “Awards of Excellence” will be given to top candidates. The regions eligible are Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Indianapolis, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Orange County (CA), Orlando, and Seattle/Tacoma. Additionally, one Award of Excellence will be awarded to an applicant from a Simon Premium Outlet. Students from these areas will have the opportunity to receive a $10,000 award ($2,500 for up to four years).
SYF’s 2020 scholarship recipients will be selected by International Scholarship and Tuition Services (ISTS), a third-party partner. Applicants will be evaluated based on academic promise, financial need, written response, work experience as well as community and extracurricular involvement. Recipients will be notified in May 2020.
For more information, to confirm eligibility and apply for a Simon Youth Community Scholarship, please visit syf.org/scholarships/.
About Simon Youth Foundation
Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) is a national nonprofit committed to helping students reach graduation day. SYF works toward this mission by partnering with local public school districts to launch Simon Youth Academies, alternative classroom settings located primarily in Simon Malls that provide students at risk of dropping out with the personalized support needed to reach graduation day, and by providing Simon Youth Scholarships to graduating seniors who live near Simon centers. Since its inception, SYF has maintained a 90 percent graduation rate at its 37 Simon Youth Academies in 15 states, helping more than 19,850 students earn their high school diplomas, and has awarded over $18 million in scholarships. Visit syf.org to learn more.
About Simon
Simon is a global leader in the ownership of premier shopping, dining, entertainment and mixed-use destinations and an S&P 100 company (Simon Property Group, NYSE:SPG). Our properties across North America, Europe, and Asia provide community gathering places for millions of people every day and generate billions in annual sales. For more information, visit simon.com.
About Town Center at Boca Raton
Town Center at Boca Raton is Palm Beach County’s premier luxury shopping destination and houses an impressive lineup of department stores that is unparalleled in the entire country, including Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. The property also features 220 prestigious and nationally recognized stores, including Ann Taylor, Kate Spade New York, Tesla, Apple, Cartier, CH Carolina Herrera, Coach, Gucci, INTERMIX, Louis Vuitton, Michael Kors, Stuart Weitzman, Tiffany & Co., Tommy Bahama, Tory Burch, Versace and Williams-Sonoma, attracting shoppers from across the globe. Town Center at Boca Raton also offers an array of dining choices in the Cafés at Boca, as well as True Food Kitchen, The Capital Grille, Grand Luxe Café and more. Town Center at Boca Raton, owned by Simon, is located at 6000 Glades Road. For more information, please call Town Center at Boca Raton (561) 368-6001 or follow us at www.facebook.com/TownCtrAtBoca and twitter.com/TownCtrAtBoca.
