Posse Benefits from President Obama's Nobel Peace Prize

March 12, 2010

Posse 13 NY.jpg March 12, 2010, Greencastle, Ind. — The Posse Foundation, "which gives full college scholarships to public school students who might be overlooked by traditional scholarship programs" and has partnered with DePauw University since 1996, is one of the charities which are getting the funds President Barack Obama received for winning the Nobel Peace Prize. The Associated Press reports that President Obama "plans to donate the $1.4 million from his Nobel Peace Prize to helping students, veterans' families and survivors of Haiti's earthquake, among others, drawing attention to organizations he said 'do extraordinary work.'" (top photo: members of DePauw Posse 13, New York)

The Posse Foundation will receive $125,000. Posse identifies public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential, who may be overlooked by the traditional college selection process. The Foundation extends to these students the opportunity to pursue personal achievement and academic excellence by placing them in supportive, multi-cultural teams ("posses") of 10 students. Since 1989, 3,110 public high school students with extraordinary academic and leadership potential have become Posse Scholars.

DePauw hosts two Posses each year -- one from New York City and the other from Chicago. Students Spring 2006 EC Pair.jpg

"These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need," notes Obama. "I'm proud to support their work."

AP reports, "Obama was chosen for the Nobel award more for his aspirations and approach than his accomplishments thus far. The Nobel committee honored him for changing the tenor of international politics and for pursuing goals Obama says will require worldwide effort, such as nuclear disarmament and reversing global warming."