11/1/2011 12:30:00 PMSisters of Charity sponsors Reading Room at Stokes

Dr. Benjamin Carson, the director of pediatric neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins University, visited Carl and Louis Stokes Central Academy on Nov. 3.
 
In celebration of its 15th anniversary, the Sisters of Charity Foundation of Cleveland is funding a reading room and scholarship opportunities for students in the Cleveland Central Promise Neighborhood. The foundation is establishing both initiatives through the Carson Scholars Fund, a charitable organization founded in 1994 by world-renowned pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Carson and his wife to encourage academic excellence.

“By investing in children’s minds, we reward today’s role models and prepare tomorrow’s leaders,” Dr. Carson said.

During his visit, Dr. Carson addressed middle-school students from each of the three Central Promise Neighborhood K-8 schools – Stokes, Marion Sterling and George Washington Carver. He shared with students how he overcame childhood poverty and went on to college, medical school and a successful medical career because of his passion for reading and learning.
 
Following his presentation, the Sisters of Charity Foundation announced its plan to give $15,000 to Ohio’s first Ben Carson Reading Room at Stokes Central Academy. When completed, the reading room will be an attractive environment for children to discover the joy of reading. Yearly, 60 existing Carson Reading Rooms across eight states place more than 30,000 books in students’ hands. The Reading Room is scheduled to open for students and their families in 2012.

Additionally, Sisters of Charity Foundation granted $5,000 to the Carson Scholars Fund for Central Promise Neighborhood students to compete for 2012 Carson Scholarships. The fund awards academic excellence with $1,000 college scholarships for students in grades 4-8. The scholarships are invested in a trust until recipients attend a four-year college or university.

“The resources provided by the Sisters of Charity Foundation significantly support our efforts to foster a love of learning among our students at these schools,” said CEO Eric Gordon. “We appreciate our partnership with the foundation and look forward to a continued collaboration.”

Dr. Benjamin Carson talks to Susanna Krey, Sisters of
Charity Foundation's president, before they announced
their joint effort to support a reading room.