AAAA Foundation Jumpstart II For Multicultural Students In Creative Departments.

The American Association of Advertising Agencies (AAAA) announced that it has reached its stated goal of raising $1 million in scholarship funds for Operation Jumpstart II, double the amount raised under its predecessor program, Operation Jumpstart.

The $1 million in combined pledges and donations was raised in the second phase of an AAAA program created in 1997 to “jumpstart” the number of multicultural employees in agency creative departments. Under the original initiative, $500,000 was raised and awarded to 47 multicultural students at five creative portfolio schools from 1998-2001.

At the AAAA annual Management Conference last spring, AAAA President-CEO O. Burtch Drake unveiled Operation Jumpstart II, in which he vowed to raise $1 million, twice the previous amount. He said AAAA Vice Chairman Ken Kaess, president-CEO of DDB Worldwide, would spearhead the effort to raise $100,000 per year for five years from the largest AAAA member agencies, an amount to be matched by the AAAA.

“I’m extremely pleased and proud that our member agencies have given so generously in support of this important program, especially during such trying economic times.” Drake said. “I especially want to thank Ken Kaess for his outstanding work on this project. His efforts and dedication to Operation Jumpstart II will go a long way toward helping us achieve our goal of increasing diversity in the ad agency industry.”

Of the $1 million, $200,000—divided into 20 scholarships of $10,000 each—has been awarded to multicultural students of the advertising creative arts currently enrolled at the following schools: the AdCenter at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU); the Creative Circus and the Portfolio Center, both in Atlanta; Miami Ad School; the University of Texas at Austin; The Pratt Institute in New York; The Minneapolis College of Art & Design; and The Art Center College of Design at Pasadena.

The Selection Process

For Operation Jumpstart II grants, the AAAA Foundation works with the selected portfolio schools to identify aspiring art directors and copywriters who meet eligibility qualifications. Scholarship winners receive $10,000 each to be dispersed over a two-year period.

The AAAA Foundation

All scholarship programs are administered through the AAAA Foundation, Inc., which was created in 1997 as a means for the AAAA to accept charitable contributions for a variety of ad industry-related purposes and to establish scholarship funds. The Foundation is governed by its own Board of Directors. Information regarding the Foundation and its scholarship program can be obtained by contacting AAAA Diversity Programs at 212-682-2500.

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