In 2015, the Rogers Foundation kicked off with a pretty amazing announcement: An entire class of third-grade students at Reynaldo Martinez Elementary School would be receiving college scholarships from the new organization.
It was a promise that demonstrates the organization’s commitment to arts and education.
The brainchild of former television station owner and philanthropist Jim Rogers, who died in 2014, the foundation honors his legacy by creating and furthering opportunities for Southern Nevada youth, said Beverly Rogers, chairwoman of the board.
“Jim spent the last 20 years of his life seriously invested in education, both K-12 and higher ed,” Rogers said. “He wanted to be remembered as a man who helped change the course of people’s lives through educational opportunities.”
Since its inception, the foundation has awarded more than $89 million to children and the programs that support them.
“Education infrastructure, the bedrock of our future, is our No. 1 challenge,” Rogers said. “We strive to build on what we’ve established, and to work toward what we imagine our schools and the lives of our students can be.”
This past year, the Rogers Foundation awarded more than $2 million in college scholarships. It also awarded more than $75,000 in grants to support an array of programs: professional development regarding trauma issues, a meditation room to de-escalate challenging behavior, the creation of a high school music class, a literacy program, and assisting a program that needed computer supplies.
The foundation also helps support the nonprofit Core, a program that serves under-resourced students. This year, Core celebrated its first graduating class of seniors.
Additionally, the foundation sponsors the annual Heart of Education Awards, a ceremony to honor the work of Clark County K-12 public school teachers.
What would Jim Rogers think of the foundation today? “Most of all, he would applaud our efforts to effect real change in Nevada’s education system,” Beverly Rogers said.