Listen to this articleStrain Stars, Long Island’s first cannabis dispensary, has given Farmingdale State College $100,000 for a new scholarship. The Strain Stars New Hour Endowed Scholarship is designed to provide financial assistance to current and prospective Farmingdale State students of incarcerated parents.
Partnering to assist in the administration of the scholarship is Brentwood-based New Hour for Women and Children Long Island, a nonprofit that supports incarcerated women and their children and families. The organization will work closely with students and families as recipients of the scholarships, according to a news release about the program.
“We are proud to establish the Strain Stars New Hour Endowed Scholarship at Farmingdale State College. This scholarship will make a meaningful difference in the lives of students affected by mass incarceration,” Jasmin Singh, chief financial officer of Strain Stars, said in the news release.
The funding is designed to support scholarships to college-bound children affected by incarceration, who are eligible students accepted or currently enrolled at Farmingdale State. In addition to tuition and fees, scholarships may include funding for meal plans, books, transportation and housing for up to four consecutive years of full-time enrollment pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the college, or completion of an associate’s degree or certificate program, up to two years.
As many as one in 28 children have a parent in prison or jail, according to the National Education Association. The National Resource Center on Children and Families of the Incarcerated, which is part of Rutgers University –Camden campus, reports that the third most common request for information on scholarships for children with incarcerated and formerly incarcerated parents.
At Farmingdale, the Strain Stars scholarship “reflects our commitment to social equity, higher education and empowerment. In partnership with New Hour, we will also provide support systems to help these students navigate challenges and reach their full potential,” Singh said.
“As a non-profit that works with justice-impacted mothers we know that incarceration impacts the whole family,” Serena Martin, executive director of New Hour for Women and Children Long Island, said in the news release.
“Often, impacted children do not have the means to pursue higher education. This scholarship will reduce the stigma of parental incarceration, giving students the needed opportunity to thrive beyond their parent’s incarceration, for which they should never be punished,” Martin added.
“This gift truly personifies the beauty and power of philanthropy, with a scholarship that has the potential to change lives and offer the transformation that education delivers to help our students unleash their full potential,” said Matthew Colson, vice president of development and alumni engagement at Farmingdale State.
“We couldn’t be prouder to partner with Strain Stars and New Hour and entrusted with this great responsibility in service to our shared community,” Colson added.
More information about the scholarship is available here.
