As a significant expansion to their 5-year partnership, Boys & Girls Clubs of America and the Panda Cares Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Panda Express, have introduced the Panda Cares Scholars Program for Boys & Girls Clubs. Moving forward, this initiative will provide $750,000 in annual scholarships to deserving Boys & Girls Club members nationwide.
The Panda Cares Scholars Program recognizes high school juniors and seniors who demonstrate exceptional character, leadership, academic performance and a commitment to achieving their goals. Each year, the program will award $2,500 to 100 Club members and $5,000 to another 100 Club members.
“We’re humbled by this additional support from Panda Cares as they continue to remain dedicated to ensuring young people are set up for academic excellence,” said Jim Clark, President & CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of America. “Our data shows that 97% of Boys & Girls Club teens expect to graduate high school, compared to the national 87%, and its committed partners like them that help enable these positive outcomes for youth across America.”
“Powered by the generosity of our guests and associates, the Panda Cares Scholars Program empowers young people to achieve their college dreams, regardless of economic background,” said Dr. Peggy Cherng, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Panda Express. “Giving back is one of our core values at Panda. We are proud to partner with the Boys & Girls Club to invest in these brighter futures, providing the next generation with safe spaces, mentorship and opportunities that empower our community’s youth to thrive.”
The scholarships offer vital support to students like Wayne and Mariah, two recent Panda Scholars, who credit their local Boys & Girls Club with providing the resources they need to achieve great futures. Both Wayne and Mariah were recognized through the Youth of the Year program, Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s premier initiative celebrating teens dedicated to leadership, service and academic excellence. Their achievements as local Youths of the Year led to their selection as recipients of the Panda Cares scholarship. Mariah will be using her scholarship towards tuition while studying architecture at Texas Tech University, while Wayne, a biology major at Brown University, plans to use the funds to cover freshman year living expenses. Both scholars exemplify the meaningful impact of the scholarship to help relieve the financial stress of higher education for themselves and their families.
The Panda Cares Scholars Program comes just as the partnership between Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Panda Cares Foundation celebrates its fifth anniversary. For the past five years, Panda Cares has supported academic success programs and resources for Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. Through the partnership, the organizations have opened over 100 Panda Cares Centers of Hope, academically focused safe spaces that encourage each Club member to dream big and fuel their educational passions. Panda Cares also invests in Project Learn, an academic support strategy focused on fun and engaging learning activities, homework help, and tutoring. The Panda Cares Scholars Program is an extension of Panda Cares Foundation’s long-standing investment in the success and future of Boys & Girls Club youth.
Since 2020, Panda Cares has committed more than $50 million to enhance academic programming, support Project Learn, establish Panda Cares Centers of Hope and launch the Panda Cares Scholarship Program in Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. To learn more about the partnership between Boys & Girls Clubs of America and Panda Cares, visit https://www.bgca.org/about-us/our-partners/panda-cares/.
