About Us
The Beginning
Barry W. and Karen Lowe unveiled the Lowe Family Young Scholars Program on February 23, 2006, by announcing that they had partnered with Oklahoma State University and were endowing $1 million to provide sholarship opportunities for children in low-income Bartlesville schools.
Our Mission and Values
The mission of the LFYS Program is to assist academically promising yet economically disadvantaged students in the Bartlesville Public School System to earn a college degree.
Values
Below are the 8 core values of the LFYS Program.
- College Degree
- Financial Responsibility
- Personal Accountability
- Self-Confidence
- Self-Discipline
- Self-Motivation
- Self-Sufficiency
- Volunteerism
The LFYS Program is a Standards of Excellence Organization.
partnering with schools
Partner Universities
Oklahoma State University was our first partner when the program began in 2006, and continues to support the efforts of the Lowe Family Young Scholars Program. In late 2006, Oklahoma Wesleyan University joined as our second partner University. Rogers State University joined the team in early 2008, so students could attend classes in either Claremore or Bartlesville.
Bartlesville Public Schools
The Lowe Family Young Scholars Program began at Jane Phillips Elementary. We expanded to Richard Kane and Oak Park Elementaries in 2010, and further expanded to all Bartlesville Public Schools in August of 2011.
honoring family
This program was created to honor Barry's parents, the late Wilbur D. and Grace Laverne Snyder Lowe, who encouraged Barry to better his life through education. This program was developed to honor their advice and impact children who most need our help in obtaining a college degree - those whose parents could use some assistance with college funding.
helping students
7th - 12th Grades
Students and their parents are matched with a volunteer mentor. This mentor will continue to work with the student and parent(s) through his or her senior year by having age-appropriate discussions regarding educational success, future opportunities, goal setting and career planning. The mentors will meet with students a few times per month, several hours per week and their parents once per quarter.
College
Students who complete the program and successfully apply to either Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma Wesleyan University, or Rogers State University (college selection may be determined by funds available at each university) will earn a scholarship up to $4,000/year in the academic field of their choice. Scholarship recipients will provide additional guidance for students entering the program.