Salvation Army Bell Ringing
Bell ringers standing next to the symbolic
red signifies that the holidays are here! Every year, the
Bakersfield Rotary Club organizes a single day of bell
ringing and approximately one hundred Club members spread
out into the community and don the red apron to raise money
for the Salvation Army.
Bridging Program
The Bridging Program is a project of the
Rotary Club of Bakersfield and Bakersfield High School,
providing a leadership-mentor program that focuses on at-risk
high school students. The mission of the program is to
reduce the dropout rate of these students and increase
their school attendance.
The program operates during the
school year with school administrators profiling, screening
and providing a pool of at-risk freshmen. These selected
students represent a cross-cultural mix of the high schools’ population
with primary emphasis on those who have potential for success.
Based upon the student's occupational interest,
an appropriate Rotarian is matched with the student as
a mentor. Through
the guidance and encouragement of the student’s mentor,
and the exposure to a real workplace environment, the program
goal is to eliminate student dropout and increase attendance
in school to 90 percent.
Participating Rotarians commit to participate
for one school year and meet at least one hour each month
with the student to discuss progress and problems. The
Rotarian also provides part-time employment (four hours
per week) to the student during the school year. The Rotarian
is encouraged to bring the student to three Rotary Club
meetings and one club outing during the school year and
attend two school functions with the student.
The student
participating in the program must attend school 90
percent of the time. The student must participate in the
part-time
work program and the Rotary functions hosted by their mentor.
Bakersfield High school is the largest and
oldest high school in Kern County. In the 1990-1991 school
year 3,556 students were enrolled of which 21 percent were
Hispanic, 12 percent black and 61 percent white.
The dropout
rate at Bakersfield High now stands at approximately
25 percent over a four-year period. One of its goals is
to
increase the success of the average student, and to do
so the dropout rate and absence rates must be reduced.
For more information on the Rotary Bridging
program contact the Rotary office at staff@bakersfield-rotary.com
or call (661)325-0696.
Scholarships
Each year five (5) scholarships are awarded to local high school seniors
who will attend Bakersfield College (BC) or Cal State University Bakersfield (CSUB).
High School seniors who know they will be
attending either BC or CSUB should contact that school's
Financial
Aid office before March 1st of their senior year to apply.
Applicants will be selected by the
Financial Aid offices of BC and CSUB to interview
with our committee
for final selection.
Waterman Foundation
Annual Capital Grant Program
The purpose of the Waterman Foundation is to provide
scholarships to local students as well as fund capital
projects proposed by local non-profit organizations. The
Waterman Foundation was established by the Bakersfield
Downtown Rotary Club in 1984. Thirteen members of this Club
comprise the Board of Trustees and govern the activities
of the foundation.
The Foundation plans to grant between $30,000 and $40,000
per year for a single capital project or cumulatively
for a combination of projects. Grants will be awarded
only for capital projects, and not for such items
as operating expenses. Grants will be awarded in
April of each year.
