Grow Our Community’s Economy
The Valencia Foundation seeks to provide the margin of excellence for which Valencia has long been known. The foundation is a separate, not-for-profit, IRS approved 501(c)(3) corporation chartered in 1974 to provide financially for the educational needs of Valencia that cannot be met through state aid or student tuition income. Sixty community leaders volunteer generously of their time, talent, and resources by serving on the board of directors.
Global Scholars Endowment | $750,000
Prepare students to compete professionally and succeed as global citizens with 20 study-abroad scholarships.
Global Scholars: Field Notes from India
Valencia biology professor Steve Myers and his students are out for a snake-walk. That’s a challenge on this April morning in southeastern India, when most snakes have burrowed deep to escape the intense, dry heat. But the group’s guides, two members of the area’s Irula population, know how to look for clues like scat and skins to find snakes whose lethal venom can be turned into lifesaving medicine.
Seneff Honors Scholarship Endowment | $2.5 million
Enrich students in challenging courses with specializations such as leadership development and interdisciplinary learning, and award $1,000 scholarships for 100 students enrolled in the Seneff Honors College each year.
Seneff Honors Recipient Stephanie Sookhram
After attending five high schools—in Florida, Guyana and Washington state—Stephanie Sookhram knew that her prospects for college weren’t good.
With a 2.48 GPA and a history of bouncing from one place to another, she knew that most colleges and universities wouldn’t even consider her.
Nursing and Allied Health | $7 million
Central Florida is one of the fastest growing health care sectors in the country, but there is a critical nursing shortage. With your support, enrollment can increase by 124 percent to 840 associate’s degrees in nursing and 360 new bachelor’s degrees in nursing in four years.
Nursing and Allied Health Support: First-time Generation College Student
At an age when most kids say they want to be a fireman or a movie star when they grow up, Naomie Saintoiry knew precisely what she wanted to be: A doctor.
And she has never wavered.
Because both of her younger siblings were born prematurely, Naomie visited them in the neonatal intensive-care unit of the local hospital. Moved by that experience, she wants to become a neonatal pediatrician.
STEM Undergraduate Research Endowment | $750,000
Engage students in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) disciplines by providing opportunities for undergraduate research. Annually award $3,000 grants to 10 students so they may conduct research and present nationally.
Undergraduate Research Grants: Summer STEM Institute
Undergraduate research grants will result in programs such as the Valencia Summer STEM Institute, a one-week program immersing high school students in science experiments and hands-on learning, piquing their interest to pursue STEM majors in college.
Walt Disney World® Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality | $5.1 million
As part of the joint downtown campus collaboration with UCF, Valencia will relocate and enhance our Walt Disney World® Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality in order to propel us toward the goal of becoming a top-ranked, global destination program.
Walt Disney World® Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts
The culinary students, in their matching button-up coats and checkered pants, moved like ants in the Valencia College teaching kitchen.
They were constantly on their feet, darting around each other, shuffling to grab the salt or pull the right-sized bowl. Nobody panicked when a little flour ended up on the floor.
School of Arts and Entertainment | $250,000
Facilitate opportunities at the School of Arts and Entertainment – from master classes and art exhibits to distinguished speakers and off-campus learning experiences – all to prepare creative students for success.
The Valencia Promise
Contact a development officer to learn how you can invest in The Valencia Promise.
Peace and Justice Institute | $100,000
Broaden and boost Peace and Justice Institute programs that nurture an inclusive, respectful environment, such as Valencia’s Global Peace Week and Conversations on Justice. Other programs include interfaith gatherings and Orlando Speaks initiative, which encourages dialogue between police officers and citizens.
The Valencia Promise
Contact a development officer to learn how you can invest in The Valencia Promise.