Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation

Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation
Founded 2006
Focus Medical Education Scholarships and Programs
Location
Method Programming, Funding

The Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation was created in 2006 upon the death of Joan C. Edwards, a well-known West Virginia-based philanthropist.

History

The Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation was created by a bequest from the Joan C. Edwards Trust in 2006 at the time of Mrs. Edwards' death. Mrs. Edwards was a philanthropist and former jazz singer. Her husband, James, who died in 1991, was owner and CEO of National Mattress Company in Huntington, W.Va., where the couple lived most of their lives.[1]

In 2010, Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation launched the Health Profession Pipeline Program (H3P) in Cleveland, Ohio, to serve the needs of traditionally underrepresented minorities and low-income backgrounds.[2]

Programs & Events

Health Profession Pipeline Program

The Health Profession Pipeline Program (H3P) is funded, administered and developed by the Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation in collaboration with its partners, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) and School of Medicine (SOM), University Hospitals Case Medical Center (UHCMC) and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Cleveland School of Science and Medicine (CSSM) at John Hay High School Campus. The H3P has been developed as a set of extra-curricular medical education events designed to more fully integrate the medical education system of the greater Cleveland community. The Foundation recognized the tremendous relationships already in place in the medical education system in Cleveland and sought to further solidify those relationships by funding an eight year scholarship between CSSM and CWRU.[3]

Programs and Events

The H3P involves the following programs:

“X” Inquiry Seminar Series (XISS) – the XISS is a general framework for delivering the medical curriculum of the H3P. It includes broad, long-term mentoring opportunities between all segments of the pipeline, challenging material and research opportunities for all participants, job and networking opportunities, recruiting opportunities and intense communications amongst the medical education system of any participating community.

The XISS is divided into two separate programs. In the fall, the Neurological Inquiry Seminar Series (NISS) is a program in which the events are focused on neurology. In the spring, the Cardiovascular Inquiry Seminar Series (CISS) is a program in which the events are focused on cardiology. These programs provide the following opportunities:

  1. Preparatory Lectures – Designed to introduce anatomical concepts to the CSSM
  2. Faculty Seminars – Expand and deepen the concepts of the Prep Lectures
  3. IQX Sessions – Problem-Based Learning
  4. Physical Diagnosis Seminars – Hands-On Learning
  5. Case School of Medicine Immersion – Exposure to Med School
  6. UH Clinical Immersion – Exposure to professional Medicine
  7. UH Summer Internships - Exposure to scientific research

Additional programs include:

Writing Workshop – this program is designed to help supplement the CSSM students’ education in reading comprehension and writing skills to prepare the students for college applications

MD Education Plan – this program will provide a mentoring opportunity for CSSM students to help them realize their career goals and develop strategies to meet those goals.

SAT Tutoring - this is a SAT test prep course offered to CSSM students on Saturdays by CWRU medical students.

H3P League of Scholars - the H3P League of Scholars is an H3P sponsored club that was created to serve the needs of the CSSM student body who have been a part of the H3P throughout their high school career. They have a website that details their events and has news updates.

Sopko Research Program - this program serves highly motivated CSSM sophomores who want to learn more about reading and writing in a scientific research setting.

International Brain Bee - CSSM students compete in the International Brain Bee competition under the guidance of a CWRU medical student’s instruction through after school classes and tutoring sessions. [4]

Edwards Scholarship

The Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation has created the Edwards Scholarship. This 8-year full-ride scholarship will be given to one student from CSSM to attend CWRU and CWRU School of Medicine.

The foundation has committed to an initial investment of $10 million to $12 million for an endowment that will fund at least one of the mega-scholarships every year, beginning in 2011. CWRU will provide free room and board. Eventually, the endowment could grow to support more than one annual award.[5]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ "The Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation Makes Multimillion-Dollar, Multi-Year Commitment to Case Western Reserve University". Case Western Reserve University. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation makes pipeline for future doctors". EurekAlert!. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  3. ↑ "Health Profession Pipeline Program". Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  4. ↑ "Health Profession Pipeline Program". Joan C. Edwards Charitable Foundation. Retrieved 9 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Okoben, Janet. "A parent's dream: scholarship covers cost of college and medical school for Cleveland high school student". The Plain Dealer. Retrieved 9 March 2011.

External links