African-American Community Foundation - Pearl A. Dale and Audrey Parker Scholarship Grant

The African-American Community Foundation offers the Pearl A. Dale and Audrey Parker Scholarship to support students who demonstrate resilience and academic achievement. Established by The Dayton Foundation, this scholarship honors the legacy of Pearl Dale, who overcame significant barriers in her education. Eligible applicants must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA, score at least 21 on the ACT, and demonstrate financial need. This initiative fosters educational opportunities for African-American students, ensuring they have the resources to succeed.

The Dayton Foundation
It helps individuals, families, and organizations fulfill their charitable goals by managing permanent funds, awarding grants, and offering scholarships. Having awarded over $1.2 billion in grants and managing more than 4,100 funds, the Foundation acts as a significant regional philanthropic partner committed to strengthening the social, economic, and cultural fabric of the community.
Mission and Priorities
The Foundation’s mission is to help donors and organizations "help others" through philanthropic services, strategic grantmaking, and community leadership. With a vision of creating a vibrant and inclusive Greater Dayton, the Foundation focuses on building capacity for nonprofits, promoting equitable opportunities, and collaborating across sectors to address community challenges. Its priorities include supporting education and workforce development, enhancing health and human services, advancing arts and culture, and responding to urgent regional needs through initiatives like disaster relief and community recovery.
African-American Community Foundation - Pearl A. Dale and Audrey Parker Scholarship
Born in the South in the early 1900s, Pearl Dale experienced firsthand the barriers that African-Americans of her generation faced in pursuing a better life for themselves. Pearl's parents owned a farm in Kentucky where she and her brother, Walter, and sister, Audrey, were raised. The Dales managed to send all of their children to college, which was no small feat for African-American families of that era. The three siblings eventually became teachers, with Pearl and Audrey moving to Ohio in the 1940s and taking positions in the Dayton Public Schools. The sisters went on to attain master's degrees and continued teaching in Dayton until their retirement in the late 1970s. In a letter written to The Dayton Foundation in 1990, Pearl recollected the many hardships she encountered as a single African-American woman trying to make her own way.

Eligibility

Have a minimum 3.0 GPA,Have a minimum 21 on the ACT, andDemonstrate financial need.