DENVER, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Coca-Cola Foundation is continuing its support of first generation Native American scholars through a generous donation of $250,000 to the American Indian College Fund. For 20 years, The Coca-Cola Foundation First Generation Tribal Scholarship Program has increased access to higher education and leadership development opportunities for tribal college students that are the first in their families to attend college. At least one scholar at each of the tribal colleges is selected to be a Coca-Cola scholar. Students receive scholarships and the opportunity to attend the American Indian Student Summer Leadership Training, a week-long leadership development program at the Institute for American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Students also participate in a recognition reception in their honor each year sponsored by The Coca-Cola Foundation.  

In addition to supporting strong scholarship and leadership development programs, The Coca-Cola Foundation supports the Fund's annual Flame of Hope Gala.  Through their sponsorship, the Fund is able to raise additional resources and awareness to benefit the tribal colleges and Indian communities.

"At The Coca-Cola Company, we believe education has a major impact in building lives and sustaining communities," said Ingrid Saunders Jones, chairperson, The Coca-Cola Foundation. "We created The Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program in recognition of the many  students who wanted access to college and the opportunity to change their lives, the lives of their families and their communities. Since 1993, the Coca-Cola First Generation Scholarship Program has helped more than 1,200 students on more than 400 campuses become the first in their families to attend college."

"The Coca-Cola Foundation is clearly the nation's corporate leader in providing scholarship opportunities, and their commitment to providing scholarships to both first-generation students and the most qualified students is highly commendable," said Richard B. Williams, President and CEO of the American Indian College Fund. "The Coca-Cola Foundation First Generation Tribal Scholarship Program is creating opportunities for students who may otherwise not attend college. These opportunities will ultimately change the destiny of each student and their families. The Coca-Cola Foundation is simply the best and we thank them for their vision and commitment to changing our world."

About The Coca-Cola Foundation

The Coca-Cola Foundation, the philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company, has contributed more than $340 million to help build sustainable communities worldwide through initiatives focused on water stewardship, active healthy living, community recycling, education, arts and culture and civic affairs.  

About the American Indian College Fund

With its credo "Educating the Mind and Spirit," the American Indian College Fund is the nation's largest private provider of scholarships for American Indian students, providing an average of 6,000 scholarships annually for students seeking to better their lives and communities through education and support to the nation's 33 accredited tribal colleges and universities. For more information about the American Indian College Fund, please visit www.collegefund.org

©2010 American Indian College Fund

SOURCE American Indian College Fund

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