Oliver L. Johnson and William A. Lester Families Fund

The Oliver L. Johnson & William A. Lester Families Fund of the Pittsburgh Foundation was created to provide educational opportunities for deserving students with financial need with a preference for students who have been disproportionately affected by systemic barriers to educational achievement, who are committed to pursuing formal education beyond the twelfth grade in high school. The donors, themselves African-American, seek to encourage and support students who have already displayed academic ability and leadership skills and who recognize that a solid educational foundation is a necessary prerequisite to making a positive contribution to society. This multi-year scholarship provides an average of $20,000 over four years to graduating high school seniors from seven counties in the Pittsburgh region who plan to attend accredited vocational, technical, trade schools, or 2- or 4-year colleges and universities. Students must demonstrate financial need and maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, with preference given to those who have faced systemic barriers to educational achievement.