The Purpose of Elaa Foundation…
Provide scholarships and grants to students in low income communities enabling them to participate in study abroad and other educational programs promoting self-growth, self-confidence and self-awareness.
Background…
Elaa Foundation was founded in 2018 by Jennifer Garcia Martinez in the state of Maryland. Jennifer is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic and the first person in her family to graduate with a Bachelors Degree. She was awarded a scholarship to the George Washington University 1,000 miles away from her hometown. This is where her travel journey began. While in undergrad she studied abroad in London—while in Europe she was able to travel to various countries and experience vast cultures with people form varying backgrounds, social status, and upbringing. She joined a sorority with benevolent aspirations, continued travelling, and was became debt free upon graduation through hard work, perseverance, and guidance / mentoring. These experiences were pivotal to Jennifer’s success as a professional today. She is a product of exposure and immersion into different environments, peoples, and cultures.
Her self-established goal was to find ways to offer other kids the opportunities she was given for her education and experiences. Ms. Martinez setup Elaa Foundation to achieve this and give back to lower income communities and the less fortunate. While keeping an eye on socioeconomic trends, she continues to see a pattern where well-off families send their students to emerging study abroad programs while in high school. Armed with positive experiences, education, and a drive to help those who could not afford these programs, the Elaa Foundation was born.
Elaa Foundation is an organization that is focused on providing exposure to students in low income communities through study abroad opportunities, summer camps, college tours, financial literacy workshops and other educational extracurricular activity that promote self-growth, self-confidence and self-awareness. Through these opportunities we aim to help students have a better college application and an understand that the sky is the limit when choosing a career path. The Elaa Foundation strives to bring exposure and expand horizons while looking for new opportunities and programs to assist as much as possible now and in the future.