Our Impact

The Carson Scholars Fund supports two main initiatives: Carson Scholarships and Ben Carson Reading Projects.  The Carson Scholars Fund scholarship program awards students who have embraced high levels of academic excellence and community service with $1,000 college scholarships.  The Ben Carson Reading Project initiative creates inviting and exciting reading rooms for students to discover the joy of independent reading.

In 1996, the first year that scholarships were awarded, 25 deserving students were recognized as scholars. Through the generosity of our donors and partners, we are now able to award nearly 600 scholarships annually.  In total, we have awarded over 3,900 scholarships across the country. 433 students have won multiple times.  Our scholars come from all across the country, and our award winners currently represent 34 states.  Carson scholarship winners have attended 184 colleges and universities, and have received over $800,000 in scholarship funds to help finance their education.

The Ben Carson Reading Project has also enjoyed similar success.  Through partnerships with individuals and corporations, over half a million dollars has been invested into creating and maintaining Ben Carson Reading Rooms.  More than 45 reading rooms have been established in schools across the country. 

Our 501(c)(3) non-profit programs are financed through individual and corporate donations.  Over 90 cents of every dollar contributed is directly invested into our educational programs.  Please click here to learn more about how you can help our programs continue to encourage and reward academically talented and socially conscious leaders.

The Carson Scholars Fund was founded in 1994 by world-renowned Johns Hopkins pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Benjamin S. Carson and his wife, Candy. The vision for the Carson Scholars Fund came from the Carsons’ observation that many school display cases were filled with large trophies paying tribute to their team sports' achievements, while honor students traditionally received a pin or certificate. Then, after reading a research study stating that students in the United States ranked 21 out of 22 countries – next to the bottom of the list – in science and math, the Carsons felt alarmed and compelled to take action.

The crisis needed to be addressed. The concept was simple, yet unique. Students in grades 4-11 who had at least a 3.75 grade point average and demonstrated strong humanitarian qualities would be recommended by school officials to apply for $1,000 scholarships. If a student won a scholarship, it would be invested for his or her college education until graduation from high school and he or she would be designated as a Carson Scholar. Winners could reapply annually as long as they maintained their GPA. The awards would be paid directly to the four-year accredited institution of higher learning, on their behalf.

 As the organization grew, the Carsons established a second program in 2000, the Ben Carson Reading Project. In his autobiography, Gifted Hands, Dr. Carson wrote about how his life was changed once he embraced reading. Recognizing the need to create warm and inviting places to learn the joys of independent reading, the Ben Carson Reading Project established reading rooms within schools. The reading rooms provide a friendly atmosphere where students, educators, and community members can come together and embrace reading activities. Each room is colorfully decorated and promotes Dr. Carson’s “THINK BIG” philosophy. Students within reading room schools can earn rewards for their improvement in reading level, the number of books read, or the number of minutes spent reading.

To read more about our recent accomplishments, please view our Annual Report.