Goal: $10 million for scholarship endowments.

The Urban Scholars/Leaders Program is designed to develop, train and retain Detroit's future leaders by identifying motivated high school seniors with leadership potential.

This new initiative will identify students whose potential for success makes them good prospects for mentoring and leadership training even though their academic achievements alone might not qualify them for merit-based scholarships. Leadership skills will be taught through a comprehensive program including mentoring, education, sponsored research and community service-based learning.

The Urban Scholars/Leaders Program will target seniors at all Detroit high schools. Students will be recruited on the basis of commitment to community involvement and urban issues; a genuine interest in learning; and strong speaking, persuasive and human relations skills. The program will be characterized by diversity in race, ethnicity, age, gender and educational background. Intense tutoring and mentoring is expected to improve retention and graduation rates of students who participate.

Academic achievement will not be the sole criterion for selection; students recruited will have a GPA between 2.75 and 3.4. Students also may be recommended by representatives of their schools and/or community-based organizations.

Urban Sholars/Leaders students receive: