Columbia Heights Educational Campus

The Bell Scholarship Gala is an annual event that is hosted at The World Bank, an institution like CHEC that embodies a universal commitment to overcoming societal inequities and world poverty. The event attracts 300 guests who come to enjoy an evening of fine dining, lively silent auction bidding, a moving scholarship ceremony and memorable live entertainment.

Ideally, all children should have access to the financial and academic resources necessary for entry and success in higher education; however, students of color from low-income backgrounds tend to enroll in college at rates 40 percent lower than those from moderate to high income levels. For the academically prepared, this gap is explained by an uneven distribution of resources.

In any given year at Bell Multicutlural, an average of 90% of the senior class is accepted by major colleges and universities. However, without additional resources only 65% of our seniors will have a realistic chance to pursue a college education.

The Scholarship Gala, now in its 25th year, was created by the Amigos Corporate Advisory Council to respond to the gap in resoures and to increase the number of deserving seniors pursuing post-secondary education. The Bell Gala Scholarship is unique in that its sole purpose is to provide needs-based 'bridge' scholarships to students who would otherwise be unable to attend college. Over the years, corporate and individual supporters have helped contribute $1,960,000 to this cause and made it possible for 90% of our graduates to consistently pursue a post-secondary education.