Twelve Junior High Students to Receive $1,500;
Compete to Earn $3,500 More Through High School Achievement
CHICAGO, June 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Jewel-Osco, in partnership with Unilever,
will provide 12 eighth graders from the Chicago Public Schools $1,500 in
college scholarships. Two of the 12 "Jewel Scholars" will receive $5,000
scholarships based on their high school academic performance, attendance,
involvement and community service.
Jewel-Osco President Greg Josefowicz and Chicago Public School CEO Paul
Vallas will announce the 12 finalists in a ceremony tomorrow, Wednesday,
June 9, at 2 p.m. at Healy School on Chicago's South side. The $25,000
scholarship fund will be awarded at the end of the students' junior year of
high school.
The scholarship winners were chosen from more than 400 applicants, who
were nominated by a school official or fellow student. The application
process whittled the field to 50 semi-finalists. A team of Jewel-Osco and
Chicago Public Schools officials interviewed the 50 semi-finalists and chose
the top 12, all of whom posted perfect scores in the interview process.
"Jewel-Osco is delighted to contribute to the future of these outstanding
young people and challenge them to achieve their full potential," Josefowicz
said. "No matter if it's in the corporate boardroom or school classroom, a
little competition brings out the best in all of us."
Along with the college scholarship money, each finalist will be connected
with a Jewel-Osco mentor during their high school years and will be offered a
paid summer or after-school internship at a local Jewel-Osco store when they
reach the age of 16 years old.
"Our ultimate objective is to prepare students for college and to become
productive members of the work force," said Schools Chief Paul Vallas. "This
unique opportunity is another example of how corporations partnering with
schools benefit students and helps [students] to start early to focus on the
value of a college education."
The Jewel Scholars program is one of 10 education and mentoring
initiatives annually sponsored by Jewel-Osco to provide financial assistance
and jobs to Chicago-area students. One such program, the Gage Park High
School Jewel-Osco/Target Institute of P.R.I.D.E. (Pharmacy, Retailing,
Information Technologies and Distribution Education), connects business,
industry and education together as partners. The Institute provides motivated
students with a paid internship, a year of college credit and a guaranteed
position in the pharmacy, retailing, information technologies or distribution
areas.
In all, Jewel-Osco has invested nearly $2 million in hundreds of working
students during the 1998-99 school year. During its one hundred-year history,
Jewel-Osco has been noted for its philanthropic spirit. Every year, the
company supports a wide variety of charitable organizations with the focus on
education, food & nutrition and health.
In addition, Jewel-Osco associates continue to contribute generously to
support the United Way and the communities they serve. In all, more than
$4 million is contributed toward these efforts. It's all part of Jewel-Osco's
ongoing commitment to the community through charitable contribution and
various community outreach programs.
Jewel-Osco is the only Midwest company to operate both combination food
and drug stores and freestanding drug stores. Of the company's 270 locations,
190 are combination Jewel-Osco stores and 80 are freestanding Osco Drug
stores. The company is a division of American Stores Company, of Salt Lake
City, Utah, which operates 1,580 food and drug stores in 26 states.
The Chicago Public Schools is the nation's third largest school district
and the second largest employer in Illinois. With more than 43,000 employees,
the school system operates 559 schools and serves 431,000 students.
SOURCE Jewel-Osco
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http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/048750.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 048750
CONTACT:
Karen Ramos, Director, Public Relations, for
Jewel-Osco, 708-531-6511
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