STEPS

Scholarships Taking Elementary Promising Students (STEPS) is a unique investment in higher education. It is a college scholarship opportunity that is awarded to an elementary school student.

Each year a donor-adopted school selects a deserving fifth-grade student to receive a STEPS award. Upon graduating from high school, having remained drug and crime free and demonstrating continued academic achievement, the STEPS recipient will receive $4,000 for tuition and fees at the College of Central Florida.

To fully adopt the school and provide a scholarship for a boy and girl student is $20,000, which establishes two endowed scholarships at the adopted elementary school. The two endowed scholarships are both awarded each year in perpetuity.

Donors may also elect to establish an initial scholarship for one student at the selected school for a $10,000 commitment. A $20,000 gift enables the donor to fully adopt the selected school making a scholarship available to a fifth grade boy and girl.

Corey Corneille is the first STEPS recipient to attend the College of Central Florida and spoke at the 2012 STEPS Reception.

History

In 2005, Mr. Bernie Little proposed an endowed scholarship program to be awarded annually to promising and financially deserving elementary students to strive for a college education. The plan is to provide an endowed scholarship for a boy and a girl for every elementary school in the college's service area.

Keep In Touch

STEPS SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS:

Please let us know when your information changes, so that we can easily connect when it's time for you to join us at CF. We hope you are doing well. Keep in touch!

Participating Schools

Since STEPS began in 2005, 209 students have been recognized. The goal for the STEPS program is to have at least two scholarships available to each elementary school within Citrus, Levy and Marion counties. If you are interested in adopting a school, please contact the CF Foundation at 352-873-5808.

		School Name	STEPS Donors/Tribute
	Citrus County:
	1	Central Ridge Elementary	Black Diamond Foundation, Inc.
	2	Citrus Springs Elementary	Black Diamond Foundation, Inc.
	3	Crystal River Primary	In honor of Betty Strifler
	4	Floral City Elementary	Michael D. Bays & Dr. John R. DeGraw
	5	Forest Ridge Elementary	In memory of Tom Franklin
	6	Hernando Elementary	Taste of CF
	7	Homosassa Elementary	In honor of Nevin C. Jenkins
	8	Inverness Primary Elementary	In memory of Gary Maidhof
	9	Lecanto Primary	In honor of Mari-Elain Ebitz
	10	Pleasant Grove Elementary	Michael D. Bays & Dr. John R. DeGraw
	11	Rock Crusher Elementary	In honor of Sandra Balfour
	Levy County:
	1	Bronson Elementary	Bernie L. Little In honor of Robert E. Durrance
	2	Cedar Key Elementary	In honor of Robert O. Hastings The Late Jack Wilkinson In memory of Hazel Etheridge
	3	Chiefland Elementary	In honor of Robert O. Hastings The Late Jack Wilkinson In honor of Coach Doyle McCall
	4	Williston Elementary	Linda A. Potter In memory of Anna Faulk and Bill Faulk
	5	Yankeetown Elementary	In honor of Carol Runnels-Sullivan In honor of Eleanor Hutchinson
	Marion County:
	1	Anthony Elementary	Anonymous Carolyn B. Grissom
	2	Belleview Elementary	Church Without Walls
	3	Belleview-Santos Elementary	Michael and Melissa Bianculli
	4	College Park Elementary	The Late Arthur I. Appleton Appleton Potter Family Foundation
	5	Dr. N.H. Jones Elementary	Taylor, Bean and Whitaker Corp.
	6	Dunnellon Elementary	In honor of Bobby L. James Attie G. Branan Memorial
	7	East Marion Elementary	In Memory of Mary Seamans
	8	Eighth Street Elementary	Scotty and Diane Andrews Clark Properties, LLC McBride Land & Development Company
	9	Emerald Shores Elementary	ClosetMaid
	10	Evergreen Elementary	Church Without Walls
	11	Fessenden Elementary	Bernie L. Little Kulbir Ghumman In memory of Nans Ghumman
	12	Fort McCoy School	Mary Brent Kraus
	13	Greenway Elementary	In honor of Frank M. and Naida K. Rasbury In honor of Trustee Ron Ewers
	14	Hammett Bowen, Jr. Elementary School	Frank J. DeLuca Church Without Walls
	15	Harbour View Elementary	Live Oak Foundation - Chester C. Weber
	16	Horizon Academy at Marion Oaks	Ocala Eye, P.A. Virgil & Debbie Kapp
	17	Madison Street Academy	Regions Bank
	18	Maplewood Elementary	In honor of Frank M. and Naida K. Rasbury Attie G. Brannon Memorial
	19	Marion Oaks Elementary	In memory of Juanita L. Entrekin
	20	Oakcrest Elementary	Appleton Potter Family Foundation
	21	Ocala Springs Elementary	Linda A. Potter In honor of Senator Evelyn J. Lynn Church Without Walls
	22	Reddick - Collier Elementary	Bernie L. Little Linda A. Potter In honor of Elizabeth S. Hunt
	23	Romeo Elementary	Mary Brent Kraus
	24	Saddlewood Elementary	In honor of Trustee Frank E. Stafford
	25	Shady Hill Elementary	In memory of Steve Albright, Sr. Mary Brent Kraus/Florida Bertha Counts Woods Memorial
	26	South Ocala Elementary	In honor of Trustee Cory Pool Church Without Walls
	27	Sparr Elementary	Foxfire Realty, Inc.
	28	Stanton-Weirsdale Elementary	ClosetMaid Church Without Walls
	29	Ward Highlands Elementary	Mary Brent Kraus
	30	Wyomina Elementary	Signature Brands, LLC

Adopt A School

Adopt a school today! The following schools need STEPS sponsors.

	Citrus County Schools		Central Ridge Elementary
			Citrus Springs Elementary
			Floral City Elementary
			Forest Ridge Elementary
			Homosassa Elementary
			Lecanto Primary
			Pleasant Grove Elementary
	Levy County Schools		Whispering Winds Charter School
	Marion County Schools		Belleview Elementary
			East Marion Elementary
			Evergreen Elementary
			Harbour View Elementary
			Marion Charter School
			McIntosh Area Charter School
			Saddlewood Elementary
			Sparr Elementary

If you are interested in adopting a school, please contact the CF Foundation at 352-873-5808.

STEPS to CF 2012 Reception

Images from this years reception will be available soon.