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As the Rockbridge NAACP prepares to enter a fourth year of supporting area students with funds from the Ted DeLaney grant program, the chapter reports that it has provided upwards of $20,000 for higher education and summer and afterschool programs in its first three years of giving.
The program, which was established to honor the life and work of the late Dr. Theodore “Ted” DeLaney, gave its first grants in 2021. Since then, the fund has supported DeLaney scholars attending four-year and community colleges and an accredited trade school and has enabled young people in grades kindergarten through 12th grade to attend summer programs including the YMCA, Lexington city’s Summer Fun program, the Rockbridge SPCA and Hoofbeats.
DeLaney grants are made possible by donations from institutional and individual donors. Funds go to cover educationrelated initiatives, projects, and instruction including college tuition and supplies, job-training program costs, summer program fees, after-school program registration fees, educational supplies, and field trips.
Applications for the 202425 school year to support higher education should be submitted before June 1, 2024; those applicants will be notified of grant availability after that date. For more information or to file an application, visit https://rockbridgenaacp. com/ted-delaney-highered- opportunity-grant/.
Applications for summer programs should be submitted by June 15, 2024. For more information or to file an application, visit https://rockbridgenaacp. com/delaney-k-12-grant/.
Dr. DeLaney was a professor emeritus of history at Washington and Lee University and the chair of W&L’s Africana Studies Program. A Lexington native, he graduated from W&L with a bachelor of arts in history, cum laude, in 1985 and earned his doctorate from The College of William & Mary in 1995.
The Ted DeLaney program seeks to promote racial equality and equal educational opportunities for community members in need. It is open to residents of Rockbridge County, Lexington and Buena Vista up through age 21. Girls, women and minorities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Donations to the program can be made online at https:// rockbridge-naacp-ted-delaneyyouth- grant.square.site/ or sent via check to the Rockbridge N AACP, P.O Box 1065, Lexington, VA 24450. For more information on the work of the Rockbridge NAACP chapter, to volunteer or become a member, visit https://rockbridgenaacp. com/contact-us/.
