Category: Newsletter

As we approach the season of giving, we’re reflecting on the power of community, generosity, and imagination to change lives. This year marks 30 years of awarding Carson Scholarships and 25 years of building Ben Carson Reading Rooms—three decades dedicated to nurturing bright minds and sparking a love of learning in students across the nation. […]

For students applying for the Carson Scholarship, at least one recommendation letter is required with the application.  The letter can come from any educator/person who can speak to the following: Student’s leadership ability and impact in the school/classroom Student’s scholastic work ethic, motivation and achievements Applicants must send the request for a letter through the […]

2026 marks the CSF’s 30th anniversary of awarding scholarships to students just like you!  To mark this monumental occasion, we’ve set a goal to recognize the largest group of recognized scholars to date!  To do this, we need your help! Take a few minutes to complete the 2026 Carson Scholar recognition application that you’ll receive […]

Back to school means back to scholarship season for us at the CSF!  As your school year begins, we hope that you’ll consider nominating a student for the 2026 Carson Scholarship! This is a big year for us – we’re celebrating our 30th anniversary of awarding scholarships and have big goals that we hope to […]

We are filled with gratitude for the incredible volunteers who helped make our 29th year of awarding scholarships such a success! Whether you donated your time to scoring scholarship applications, helped with preparations to bring our banquets to life, or showed up in person to lend a hand and cheer on the 2025 class of […]

The ancient proverb, “many hands make light work”, was on full display at Calvary Christian School in Bellfontaine, Ohio as a group of dedicated volunteers worked to bring the Ben Carson Reading Room to fruition. Jennifer Wylie spearheaded the project. Mrs. Wylie is no stranger to the CSF’s literacy program. She spent most of her […]

Reading is a skill that improves with practice. Like any daunting task, reading must be performed regularly to sustain and experience growth. Yet, each year, thousands of budding readers close their books at the end of the school year, without picking up a book over the long summer months. “Summer slide” is the loss of […]

This year, the Ben Carson Reading Project hit a huge milestone, and we celebrated it the best way we know how… with reading! In honor of the program’s 25th anniversary, CSF launched its very first Readathon. Beginning on March 3, 2025, schools competed over a six-week period to log the most minutes read in their […]

The inaugural Scholar Showcase was rolled out for the 2025 banquet season.  Scholars were invited to apply for table space at their respective banquets to showcase their small business, nonprofit organizations, research projects and/or passion projects to raise awareness and network with fellow scholars and guests. Pittsburgh: Evelyn Butterfield – showcased her work with Beefing […]

Scholars and their families came together on a sunny Sunday morning in San Diego to celebrate the accomplishments of the 2025 Carson Scholars.  Grace Fogel, a 3-time Carson Scholar alumna and current CSF Associate Leadership Council member, lead the event as Mistress of Ceremonies for the second year. The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to […]

Excitement and pride filled the air at the 29th annual Maryland Awards Ceremony to celebrate scholars from the mid-Atlantic region.  Maxine Streicher from Fox 45 served as Mistress of Ceremonies to lead the event.  The Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Trisha Bailey, founder and CEO of Bailey’s Pharmacy Medical Equipment & Supplies along with […]

The sun was shining for the 2025 Chattanooga Carson Scholars Awards Banquet as scholars and their guests gathered on Sunday, May 4th.  Jaxon Thurman and Ethan Bullock, two shining Carson Scholar alumni, returned for their second year emceeing the banquet and teamed up to make the event fun and exciting.  This year’s banquet theme was […]