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About Us

For Donors

For Applicants

To give children of Connecticut
equal access to the quality education of their choice by providing
scholarships to children in low-income households.

children children
children children

To be eligible, students must:

  • Reside in Hartford, Bridgeport or New Haven.
  • Be in grades K through 5; renewals can be made through grade 8.
  • Have a family income within 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for household size.

In addition:

  • Students' families must re-qualify each year.
  • Awards are made on a first-come, first-serve basis.
  • Each scholarship is calculated as one-half the annual tuition up to a maximum of $2,100.  Families are responsible for the balance of cost.
  • Parents and students choose their schools independently.
  • Applicants of all races, ethnicities, religions and national origins are strongly encouraged to apply.

Background:

  • Program designed to offer educational opportunity to elementary-age children in low-income families.
  • Launched in August 1995 in Bridgeport.
  • Expanded to Hartford in 1998 and to New Haven in 1999.
  • Parents choose the private or parochial schools for their students.
  • Parents' commitment contributes to student success.

Today:

  • Active programs in Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven.
  • 400 scholarship recipients annually, with waiting lists in all cities.
  • Awards equal one-half of annual tuition up to a maximum of $2,100.
  • Parents are responsible for the balance.
  • Parents and schools attest to benefits of educational opportunity for CEO scholarship recipients.

Chairman & Secretary

Mr. David W. Sullivan

President

Mr. Mark R. Rousseau

Treasurer

Ms. Barbara Theurkauf

Members

Dr. Lewis M. Andrews
Mr. John J. Crawford
Mrs. Pamela M. Goergen
Mr. Kevin A. North
Mr. Donald K. Wilson, Jr.

Executive Director: Lucille Nickerson

With a law and business background, Lucille has had a successful career as corporate legal counsel and senior executive.  She now heads Nickerson-Zegarelli Consultants, a firm specializing in management and technology consulting to nonprofits. Contact her by moving your mouse over Contact Us.



Program Director: Mary Jane Sullivan

Mary Jane has a broad business background from corporate executive to project management. Most recently, she was the Business Manager at the Glastonbury Chamber of Commerce. Contact her by moving your mouse over Contact Us.

Partial Listing of Participating Schools

All Nations Christian Academy

All Saints Catholic

Christian Heritage

Corpus Christi

Bridgeport Hope

Fairfield County S.D.A.

Hartford Area S.D.A.

Love Christian Academy

Milford Christian Academy

New Testament Baptist

Our Lady of Assumption/Holy Family

Praise Power & Prayer

Renbrook

Southern Connecticut Hebrew Academy

St. Aedan - St. Brendan

St. Ambrose

St. Andrew

St. Ann

St. Augustine

St. Augustine Cathedral

St. Bernadette

St. Brigid

St. Catherine

St. Christopher

SS. Cyril and Methodius

St. Francis & St. Rose of Lima

St. Jude

St. Lawrence

St. Mark

St. Mary

St. Paul

St. Peter

St. Raphael

St. Rita

St. Theresa

St. Thomas the Apostle

St. Timothy

The Master's School

The charts below show the results of recent surveys of parents and participating schools.

drawinf1

School Evaluation

Procedures:

  • Renewal applications for the upcoming school year are available to enrolled students after April 15.
  • New applicants may request an application by calling CEO Foundation after January 1 for the next school year.
  • New applications are mailed in May.
  • Completed applications are processed on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority for renewals.
  • All applications must include a copy of the most recent IRS Form 1040 for each wage-earner in the household.

Please Support CEO Foundation of CT

  • CEO Foundation is a 501(c)(3) organization so your gift is fully tax deductible.
  • CEO Foundation of CT is the only Connecticut-based scholarship program for elementary-age children from low-income families in Hartford, Bridgeport and New Haven. Since our founding in 1995, we have offered educational opportunity to approximately 400 youngsters each year.
  • We plan to provide 400 scholarships each year at a total annual cost of more than $750,000.
  • CEO Foundation operates in a highly cost-effective way – more than 85% of every gift is used for scholarships.
  • Scholarships equal to one-half the annual tuition (up to a maximum of $2,100) allow families to choose the private or parochial school that best suits their children’s needs.
  • Parents are invested in the process because CEO Foundation never pays more than one-half of the annual tuition. Studies show that parental involvement and commitment are critical to their children’s success in school.
  • Read our “Testimonials” to feel the appreciation of our scholarship recipients, their families and schools.
  • Read our “Success Metrics” to learn more about the benefits of the types of programs that CEO Foundation offers.
  • Because CEO Foundation scholarships are awarded on the basis of financial need rather than grades or test scores, each child has the educational opportunity that leads to life-long opportunity.
  • Give one or more scholarships ($2,100 each) and student(s) will be designated as “CEO Scholar(s)” in your name.
  • Interest in our scholarships is very high and we have extensive waiting lists.
Send your tax-deductible contribution to:
Children's Educational Opportunity
Foundation of Connecticut, Inc.
201 Ann Uccello Street, 2nd Floor
Hartford, CT 06103

Testimonials

"I want to say thank you very much for your support. I am so glad you helped. Now I can get a great education, so thanks. You people are the best, so I guess miracles do happen. I just had a miracle, I knew all my States and Capitals just from what you have done for me."

"Thank you very much for giving me such a valuable CEO scholarship so that I can get an excellent education. Someday I will be a CEO myself."

"I would love to thank you so much for helping me, and with that help allowing me the joy of a better education, Christian education. I am extremely thankful for your sponsor-ship because without you I may have never been able to stay here long enough to graduate this year. Please, I ask that you continue to help as much as you can so that other children, like me, who need financial help, can get it. I appreciate you very much, and I hope as you finish reading this letter, that you have understood that."

"For the past nine years, my daughter has had the fortune of being eligible, and receiving the CEO scholarship. Without your help, I never would have been able to afford keeping her in a private/catholic school. Her education and future has always been of the greatest concern to me, and the public schools in our neighborhood were not an option. We will not be applying this time, because my child will be going to high school this coming September. Because of the excellent schooling and opportunities she had over the years, she was accepted at all three high schools we applied at."

"Please allow me to take this time to extend my thanks and gratitude to you and your organization. I firmly believe that you are empowering parents and guardians like me to mold bright academic futures for deserving and capable students from low-income households.... Your generous support is assisting me in providing my granddaughter with a quality education in a small structured learning environment.... She is now in 6th grade and thriving at her school. She is a high achieving student and consistently makes the honor roll."

"Thank you CEO. My oldest daughter is getting honors and my youngest runs to kindergarten. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you! They are so happy."

"The parents of CEO recipients are the critical element in their children’s education. They inspire and support their school work and appreciate the opportunity their children have received. CEO parents actively participate in their children’s school work. Non-CEO parents have high expectations for their children too, but there is an attitude that the children will do fine. CEO parents don't want to lose what they’ve obtained."

"St. Teresa School is on the borderline of Bridgeport. About 46% of our students come from Bridgeport. Their parents provide their transportation. A richness of the school is the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic background of the children who attend. I pray that many more generous, caring people will be inspired to support your foundation by substantial contributions so you can extend your loving efforts to many, many more children."

Success Metrics

Click to See All

  • More than 75% of CEO Foundation scholarship recipients exceed expectations for their grade level.
  • Parents, committed to providing the best possible education for their children, pay half the annual tuition. Parental motivation translates to better outcomes for their students.
  • Participating schools report reading and math proficiency levels well above public school levels.
  • Similar scholarship programs report that up to 96% of scholarship recipients go on to graduate from high school and most of those go on to higher education.

Please fill out this form then press the SEND button

Name: 

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EMail Address: 

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201 Ann Uccello Street, 2nd Floor
Hartford, CT 06103
860.524.1399 (Hartford)
888.694.8321 (Toll Free)