Ford Driving Dreams Grants

In 2020, LULAC and Ford Motor Company Fund celebrate their 10-year anniversary of partnering to support education through the Ford Driving Dreams Grants program.

LULAC and Ford Fund believe that education is the gateway to opportunity and strive to support programs that help Hispanic students achieve on-time graduation and provide a pathway to obtain a higher education.

Educational initiatives and investments, such as Ford Driving Dreams, have contributed to the declining high school dropout rates and increasing college enrollment rates among Hispanics. From 1996 to 2018, high school dropout rates decreased significantly from 34% to 10% respectively. During this time, the share of Hispanic high school graduates who enrolled in college increased form 32% in 1999 to 47% in 2016. While these improvements in educational attainment among Hispanic students are notable, high school dropout rates remain higher at 10% compared to their White (5%), Asian (3%), and Black (7%) counterparts.

Through this initiative, LULAC Councils and their educational partner organizations work in their local communities to achieve education equity across the United States. To date, the Ford Driving Dreams Grants Program has funded over 82 programs across 25 states, including the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, supported the education of more than 2,800 students, and served as a convener and facilitator of the growth of LULAC councils.

Ford Driving Dreams Grants Program Objectives

The Ford Driving Dreams Grants program aims to:

• Achieve on-time high school graduation among targeted students.
• Increase students’ rate of on-time promotion to the next grade.
• Improve the academic performance of the students (grades and test scores).
• Improve interpersonal relationships between the students and their peers, teachers, administrators, and family members.
• Reduce juvenile delinquency and youth involvement in gangs.
• Foster a sense of community in schools and neighborhoods and build better relationships among peers, parents, and teachers.

Funding Opportunities

$2,000 Ford Driving Dreams Mental Health & Wellbeing Grants

Deadline: April 15, 2021

LULAC, in collaboration with Ford Motor Company Fund, seeks to bridge the gap in access to mental health resources for high school students and their families to support their educational efforts and overall wellbeing. Together, they are offering LULAC councils in the Ford Driving Dreams Network with $2,000 grants to address the mental health impacts of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic among students between the ages of 13 to 18 and their families.

Each awarded council will be responsible for hosting three (3) professionally-led mental health sessions. Sessions are intended to address the mental health challenges faced by students and provide guidance for developing coping strategies and help build a support system that includes peers, teachers, and family members.

Find additional information about the Ford Driving Dreams Mental Health & Wellbeing Grants as well as criteria and submission guidelines by clicking HERE.

For more funding opportunities, visit LULAC.org/funding.