Coca-Cola is in it’s fifth year of the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program which rewards High School teens with a $5000 scholarship and an opportunity to attend the Pay It Forward Academy. Last year 22 teenagers were awarded scholarships and this year 25 teens will have an opportunity to receive the Pay It Forward Scholarship. Grammy-nominated R&B singer, actor, author and philanthropist and longtime Coca-Cola friend Tyrese Gibson is the celebrity ambassador for the 2016 Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program. Throughout the month of March with a March 31st deadline, nominations can be submitted on Coke.com/PayItForward. The voting phase for contest finalists will take place between Saturday, June 4 and Friday, June 17, 2016.
As a mom of a High School Senior who will graduate in June and Freshman in College I can tell you that every penny counts. I honestly wish I would have taken the opportunity to nominate my daughter for the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward Scholarship last year. She attends a private HBCU and tuition isn’t cheap! Every opportunity you have to apply for additional funding, TAKE IT! Moms, dads, relatives, teachers and neighbors will have another chance to nominate an outstanding high school teen (grades 9-12) for a unique educational and mentoring experience and a $5,000 scholarship. The Academy will take place Thursday, July 21 – Sunday, July 24, 2016, in Atlanta, Ga.
Program Overview from Coca-Cola: The Coca-Cola Pay It Forward program is open to high school students, grades 9-12 (nominees must be 13 by June 3), and the moms/guardians who love and support their academic and philanthropic endeavors. Nominators must be 13 years of age or older. Eligible high school teens may also nominate themselves. Potential winners will be selected and notified on or around June 20. Each winning student will receive a $5,000 scholarship to assist with his/her pursuit of higher education and a 3-day trip to the Coca-Cola Pay It Forward Academy. Nominations must be received by March 31. If you are a parent of a teenager that fits the criteria head on over to Coke.com/PayItForward, What are you waiting for?