UPDATE (Jan. 29): As of Thursday afternoon, the Indiegogo campaign for Mott Hall Bridges Academy had raised over one million dollars.
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TORONTO – “Humans of New York” blogger Brandon Stanton is starting a scholarship fund for the students of Mott Hall Bridges Academy in Brownsville, Brooklyn thanks to the success of an Indiegogo campaign aimed at funding a yearly trip to Harvard University.
According to a statement posted Tuesday on the Indiegogo page, all funds raised over $700,000 will be reserved for the scholarship. The recipient will be chosen by a panel of the school’s teachers and administrators each year.
“We’re going to use the money from our fundraiser to get it started, but we’re also going to lay tracks so that it can hopefully continue to assist scholars for years to come,” reads the statement.
The school has also been able to establish a summer program for students thanks to the donations.
Stanton has raised over US$835,000 since launching the campaign last week. The initial goal of the campaign was US$100,000 – enough to fund one trip to Harvard a year for three years.
The fundraiser was started after Stanton interviewed a young boy named Vidal for his blog.
When asked who has influenced his life the most the boy responded, “My principal, Ms. Lopez.”
READ MORE: ‘Humans of New York’ blog raises over $350K to send inner-city kids to Harvard
Stanton went on to interview Lopez and learn about Mott Hall Bridges Academy and the community of Brownsville – long considered one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in New York City, with the highest concentration of public housing in the U.S.
Lopez and Stanton decided to create the fundraiser to give the school’s sixth graders the opportunity to experience a city outside of New York.
Since then, Humans of New York has been dedicated to telling the story of those at the school – including Vidal, after whom the scholarship will be named.
“Your donations have given a heavy boost to a group of scholars and educators in their battle to establish a culture of success in a disadvantaged neighborhood,” read an Instagram post showing Vidal in the spot Stanton first photographed him in.
Stanton added the first recipient of the scholarship will be Vidal.
In a portrait posted to the Humans of New York Instagram Tuesday afternoon, Vidal spoke about his experience in the Brownsville housing projects.
“The buildings are filthy in the housing projects. Some people poop and pee in the hallways. And some of the people around here aren’t friendly. I don’t think it’s a sadness or an anger that they feel, but a sort of emptiness,” reads the post.
He added: “Part of me wants to leave. But part of me wants to stay, because I have a lot of family nearby, and I don’t want to live far away from them.”
The Mott Hall Bridges Academy Indiegogo fund will close on Feb. 5.
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