‘I Am a Michaels Scholar’ Campaign Showcases Resident Scholarship Recipients

Marlton, N.J.—The year 2015 marks 25 years since The Michaels Organization’s founder and CEO Michael J. Levitt first created a scholarship program for residents of the affordable housing communities that his companies own and manage. Since then, more than 2,000 aspiring students have benefited from more than $4.6 million in college scholarships, administered by The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation.

To celebrate this milestone, The Michaels Organization has kicked off its “I Am a Michaels Scholar” campaign, which tells the stories of some of these resident scholars, both in print and on video. The videos premiered Sept. 9 at The Michaels Organization Educational Foundation Golf Tournament, held in Marlton, N.J., an annual fundraiser for the scholarship program.

Each year, all residents who live in The Michaels Organization’s affordable, mixed-income and military housing communities are invited and encouraged to apply for scholarships. The scholarship funds, which are paid directly to the educational institution, can be used toward higher education at any accredited college, university, or vocational training program in the country, and students can reapply every year of their education.

All private donations raised from associates throughout The Michaels Organization’s business network are matched two-for-one by Michael Levitt and his wife Patricia Levitt. To create the videos, The Michaels Organization engaged the help of a multi-year scholarship recipient, Rhasaan Nichols, who grew up in North Philadelphia at an affordable housing community owned and managed by The Michaels Organization. A graduate of Yale University, Nichols is now a filmmaker based in Los Angeles, whose company Nichols Makes Sense produces innovative and inspiring media, including documentaries.

The “I Am a Michaels Scholar” video stories and additional success stories can be found at http://www.themichaelsorg.com/foundation.