Gale Scholars Program

Established in 1996, through a collaborative partnership between Galesburg School District 205, Carl Sandburg College (CSC) and Knox College, the Gale Scholars Program supports academically promising first-generation and low-income youth within District 205. The two-year program awards tuition waivers toward the completion of associate's and bachelor's degree programs at CSC and Knox, respectively.

Gale Scholars was recognized by the Illinois Board of Higher Education in 1999 as one of six exemplary "best practices" within the State of Illinois-a program that directly addresses the growing number of youth who, because of socio-economic barriers, often are not given the opportunity to realize their full potential as scholars and future leaders in our communities.

The Gale Scholars Program seeks to:

• Motivate first-generation and low-income high school students to pursue higher education
• Enhance academic skills in required subject areas
• Develop socialization skills to provide positive peer support
• Improve college retention rates
• Promote access for underrepresented groups
• Ensure that a college education is affordable for our most financially needy students

Coursework Up to 15 students who meet federal income guidelines and first-generation requirements are selected for the program based on written applications, letters of recommendation, and personal interviews each year. Scholars must then maintain a minimum 2.5 grade-point average in a college preparatory curriculum, provide 20 hours of community service annually, and participate in at least two extracurricular activities each year within the high school system. Currently there are 79 students enrolled in the program.

In 2006, Knox graduated its first Gale Scholar, Stacy Stremmel. The second, Stephanie Spahr, graduated in 2008. Three other Gale Scholars, Chris Carpenter, Ashley Shane, and Nicole Chase, "walked" at the 2008 Knox Commencement and will finish their student teaching in fall 2008.

Success can be found even if students don't complete the program. One student, Dean Cliff '10, decided to opt-out of the program so he could do all four years at Knox. "I wanted Knox all the way," he says. It was an independent study requirement on counseling during Cliff's first year at Knox that transformed him from an aspiring pharmacist to an education studies and classics double major.

Contact Information:
Les Hunter, Program Director

The George Washington Gale Scholars Program

lghunter@knox.edu