MOUNT LAUREL, NJ – Soledad O’Brien, award-winning documentarian, journalist, speaker, philanthropist, and author has been selected as the 2023 Foundations, Inc. recipient of the Champion of Children Award. Ms. O’Brien is being recognized for her work helping young women prepare for, attend, and graduate from college, enabling them to ultimately achieve their career and life goals. Her foundation, PowHERful, focuses on supporting young women obtain degrees.

Foundations, a national education organization, presents this prestigious award each year to an individual who has demonstrated outstanding commitment to supporting our nation’s most vulnerable children and helping them achieve brighter futures through quality education.

Foundations, Inc. chose Soledad O’Brien as Champion of Children because of her dedication to empowering girls on their journey to get into and through college. Ms. O’Brien established the PowHERful Foundation to provide mentoring and financial assistance to young women. Many of the girls Ms. O’Brien works with are the first in their families to pursue a college degree. PowHERful supports these hardworking young women with the connections and services to succeed in college and pursue a path to a fulfilling career.

“We are incredibly grateful to Ms. O’Brien for her tireless work transforming the lives of young girls through education and mentorship,” said Foundations President and Chief Executive Officer, Rhonda H. Lauer. “As educators, the importance of removing barriers to access higher education is critical for our promising young women. It is our collective responsibility to provide them with the tools and resources they need to succeed in school and life.”

Previous Champion of Children honorees include legendary singer Dolly Parton, who founded Imagination Library; Super Bowl champion and literacy activist Malcolm Mitchell, creator of Share the Magic Foundation; and former First Lady Barbara Bush, who established the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy.

Ms. O’Brien will be celebrated and will attend a special presentation at Foundations, Inc.’s 26th annual Beyond School Hours (BSH) National Education Conference on February 10, 2023, in Orlando, Florida. The award ceremony will cap an exciting agenda of professional learning experiences for over 2,000 educators, thought leaders, and distinguished guests.

For more information, visit www.beyondschoolhours.org or www.foundationsinc.org.

To learn more about Soledad O’Brien’s PowHERful Foundation, visit www.powherful.org.

Media Contact
Company Name: Foundations, Inc.
Contact Person: Elizabeth Cieri
Email: Send Email
City: Mount Laurel
State: New Jersey
Country: United States
Website: https://foundationsinc.org/