Latest News and Updates

May came in with a bang in Big Spring, Texas. On Wednesday, May 1, the Big Spring Independent School District opened two Ben Carson Reading Rooms at Marcy Elementary School and Washington Elementary School. Marcy Elementary School kicked off the day’s festivities by hosting their reading room opening in the morning. The reading room committee […]

Native American history is steeped in rich cultural traditions and customs, with detailed stories being passed down from generation to generation. When Media Specialist Regan Pedo discovered her school, La Paloma Elementary School in Fallbrook, California, was built on an ancient burial ground, she knew she wanted the school’s Think Big Reading Room to honor […]

What do the Amazon and the library have in common? Most of us usually think of libraries as quiet, peaceful places filled with books. However, the one at Berkshire Elementary in West Palm Beach was totally abuzz with excitement about the new reading room opening in the school today!! With a reading room theme of […]

At the Carson Scholars Fund, banquet season stands as a pinnacle of our year!  Meeting scholars and their families to celebrate their achievements is deeply rewarding. This spring, we hosted six awards banquets across the country, honoring 570 new and 936 recognized Carson Scholars – our largest cohort to date. Reflecting on our 28-year journey, […]

The 2024 recipients of the Patterson HBCU Scholarship for Carson Scholars have been selected!  Thanks to a collaboration between the Carson Scholars Fund and world-renowned author and philanthropist, James Patterson, nine Carson Scholars will receive scholarships to help offset the costs of higher education.  These students, all of whom will be starting college in the […]

On April 1, 2024, Patterson HBCU Scholarship applications became available to Carson Scholars who are graduating this spring! Recipients will receive a $5,000 scholarship award that can be renewed for up to three consecutive academic years, making a huge financial impact for those attending a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) during the 2024-2025 school […]

After a brief hiatus, we are pleased to announce that the Carson Scholars Fund Hall of Fame is back!  To celebrate, five new members have been inducted into the 2024 Hall of Fame Class.  This year’s members are remarkable changemakers, history makers, and advocates.  They are champions of equal education opportunities, providing resources to vulnerable […]

The Carson Scholars Fund is pleased to announce the awarding of 570 new and 936 recognized Carson Scholars for the 2024 scholarship season! Not only did we have a record-breaking number of nominations this year, but the level of talent, academic achievement and commitment to community service demonstrated by this pool of applicants was unmatched. […]

Carson Scholarship Applications are in! All applications are currently being reviewed and notification letters will be sent to winners and non-winners in early March. Educators will also receive correspondence regarding the outcome of their nominee’s application. 

Eight is considered a number representing new beginnings and opportunities. During the fall, new opportunities in the form of Ben Carson Reading Rooms were bestowed on EIGHT deserving schools in Texas and Florida. In October, five Ben Carson Reading Rooms sponsored by Jamie and Kyle Stallings opened simultaneously in the Midland Independent School District. The […]

Each reading room is very special in its own way!  And Seminole Trails Elementary has several special statistics about its Think Big Reading Room to celebrate! Seminole Trails Elementary Reading Room  the 33rd reading room built in Palm Beach County the 40th reading room built in the state of Florida the 17th reading room opened […]

Another huge first!! The Plumosa School of the Arts is the first and only place in the United States to have a reading room established in honor of dedicated chapter founders by their husbands!!! And these were no ordinary wives! (But this writer doesn’t believe there is such a thing as an “ordinary wife”! Each […]