UCF announced a $500,000 philanthropic grant from JPMorgan Chase to expand STEM opportunities for youth in the Parramore community. The funding will support the Parramore Launch Pad initiative, led by the College of Community Innovation and Education and UCF Downtown, over a three‑year period.
The initiative will partner with Orange County Public Schools Academic Center for Excellence, a pre‑K through eighth‑grade school in Parramore, to provide STEM instruction during the school year and a free week‑long STEM summer camp for third to fifth graders launched in Summer 2026. The program is offered through a collaboration that also includes the Boys and Girls Club Levy‑Hughes branch, which will provide complimentary club membership for the academic year.
In addition to academic support, the program integrates the Healing Oasis for Peace and Empowerment (H.O.P.E.) Circle after‑school program with the Central Florida Boys & Girls Clubs and H.O.P.E. Huddles at OCPS ACE, Jones High School and Evans High School to address student well‑being and develop skills such as leadership and teamwork. The Launch Pad also provides assistance to the Parramore Community Engagement Council.
Press release issued by UCF Today:
https://www.ucf.edu/news/ucf-awarded-500000-grant-from-jpmorganchase-to-support-stem-education-and-strengthen-pathways-to-ucf-for-parramore-youth/
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