Big Shoulders Fund
OVERVIEW
16 MILLION
FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTION
20 SCHOOLS
Supported by Organization
6,000
STUDENTS SERVED
2019
10-YEAR COMMITMENT BEGINS
In 2019, the Foundation contributed $16 million to the Big Shoulders Fund, a Catholic Chicago-based organization that supplies elementary and high school students with academic support and scholarship opportunities. This initial gift extends the organization’s programming to Northwest Indiana and across a range of economic, religious and ethnic backgrounds, specifically to 20 schools and 6,000 students within the Diocese of Gary.
Big Shoulders enhances the quality of education through access to curricular resources, technology, scholarships, and enrichment programs. To supplement this positive work, in 2021 Big Shoulders launched the Northwest Indiana White Family Scholarship to help students reach their maximum potential. This scholarship program serves a two-fold purpose: to provide emergency funding to families in need and offer merit-based scholarships to emerging leaders.
There are two merit-based scholarships available, one for fifth-grade students, and another for freshman students. Through this new initiative, students will have access to engaging activities and opportunities that put their learnings into action through extended-day programming. With the assistance of the Foundation’s gift, schools within the Diocese of Gary have the ability to deepen their connection with communities such as Gary, Hammond, East Chicago, and Merrillville.
YOUTH ACTIVITIES CENTER
Staddle Camp
Big Shoulders, in partnership with White Lodging and Brush Creek Ranch, offers life-changing opportunities for students by sending nearly 300 middle-schoolers to Wyoming’s Brush Creek Ranch each summer. Staddle Camp immerses inner-city youth in the American West, giving them the chance to learn about nature and explore new horizons, while the Outdoors Bound program provides high-school students with hands-on experiences at the ranch, teaching them valuable skills and opening doors to college savings.
$1.1 MILLION
FOUNDATION CONTRIBUTION
$180,000
WHITE LODGING CONTRIBUTION
988.7
MILES TO STADDLE CAMP
Big Shoulders partners with White Lodging by way of Brush Creek Ranch to provide students with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for personal growth. Each summer, nearly 300 students travel to Wyoming to explore new adventures, discover the great outdoors, and push themselves to do more than they ever thought they could. Many of these students have not traveled out of their state or on an airplane.
Staddle Camp offers select inner-city middle-schoolers a six-day trip to Brush Creek Ranch in Saratoga, Wyoming to learn about nature and experience life in the American West. Every week during the summer, a new group of students and teacher chaperones travel to Wyoming to engage in educational and fun activities as a reward for participating in science and history enrichment sessions throughout the school year. Campers are encouraged to learn by doing, explore and appreciate nature, and try new things!
The Outdoors Bound program provides high-school students the opportunity to live and work at Brush Creek Ranch during the summer. This three-week program exposes small groups of young adults to exciting experiences, highlighting a world outside of Chicago and offering them the opportunity to earn and save money for college. ‘Bounders’ work as ranch hands at Brush Creek Ranch learning valuable landscaping, maintenance, and life skills.
COMMUNITY IMPACT
ONE
The Fund provides mentorship and tutoring services, leadership training, access to technology, and more.
TWO
Through the Foundation’s investment, students receive opportunities for financial aid, such as summer programs and access to STEM scholarships.
THREE
The Fund offers professional development programs within elementary and high schools within the Diocese of Gary.
FOUR
The Fund’s high school graduation rate hovered at 94% in comparison to Illinois’ 2018 state average of 85%.
FIVE
The Foundation’s investment creates opportunities for collaboration within the community and grounds young professionals in Northwest Indiana.
SIX
The Fund serves 20,000 students across 72 schools in the Chicagoland region and has raised $400 million in support since its founding in 1986.
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We are so grateful for the White Family’s tremendous support and generosity, which has made it possible for us to provide support and assistance to additional communities in need.”
We are so grateful for the White Family’s tremendous support and generosity, which has made it possible for us to provide support and assistance to additional communities in need.”
Josh Hale
President and CEO of Big Shoulders Fund
KEY PARTNERS
For more information on our partners, contact info@bigshouldersfund.org
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Having grown up in the region, we are honored to be able to help Big Shoulders Fund expand its reach to Northwest Indiana and positively impact the lives of thousands of additional students and families and the communities in which they live. “
Having grown up in the region, we are honored to be able to help Big Shoulders Fund expand its reach to Northwest Indiana and positively impact the lives of thousands of additional students and families and the communities in which they live. “
Bruce White
Chairman and Founder of White Lodging
