Learn, Serve, Lead, Through Technology
Dollars for Digital Scholars DigiBall Gala
Digital Harbor High School Community Scholarship Fund
Funding College Scholarships for Graduating Seniors at Digital Harbor High School


The Event:
To raise money for scholarships and to celebrate the successes of our school, the Digital Harbor High School Alliance, www.dhhsalliance.org, is sponsoring the DigiBall II Gala, Saturday,March 26, 2011 at the Baltimore Museum of Industry (1415 Key Highway). Come join us for the party of the season with fun, food, drink, music, special attractions and vibrant silent auction bidding (http://www.dhhsalliance.org/silent-auction/).

The High School:
Opened in 2002, Digital Harbor High School is a technology-focused Baltimore City Public School located in Federal Hill. Its mission is to prepare students for college, careers in technology, and responsible citizenship. Since students who apply to the school are chosen by lottery without merit-based entrance tests, DHHS has a diverse student body from every ZIP code in the City. The student population of 1,050 is 73 percent African American, 22 percent white and 5 percent other ethnicities, mostly Latino. Every student must complete all requirements of a college preparatory program for a Maryland High School diploma. Additionally to earn a career and technology certificate from the State, students must progress through one of four pathways: 1-Programming and Software Development, 2-Networking Systems, 3-Information Systems and Support Services, and 4-Interactive Media and Video. This demanding curriculum prepares students for both college and careers. To graduate, all students must apply to college or a technical school of their choice. Digital has an attendance rate of 92 percent and a graduation rate of 90 percent. Its Maryland High School Assessment scores rank among the top of Baltimore City schools without entrance requirements. For further information, go to www.digitalharborhs.org.

The Graduates:
The majority of Digital graduates are the first in their family to attend college; seventy percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price school lunches. Most Digital graduates who do go on to college have a package of grants and loans. Due to financial constraints, many attend community colleges. Each year increasing numbers have chosen and accepted to four-year institutions. Several graduates have received a “full ride” to prestigious schools; a number that is bound to increase as the school raises academic standards. Currently, three such students are at The Johns Hopkins University, three are at The University of Maryland, four are at Towson University and one each at Carnegie Mellon, The University of Pittsburg, The University of Miami, Virginia State University, Middle Tennessee State University and UMBC.

The Scholarship Fund:
To assist graduating students, community members created the Digital Harbor High School Community Scholarship Fund through the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF). Four students received $2,000 scholarships in 2008, three students in 2009, and sixteen students in 2010. (Due to the success of DigiBall I, the students in 2010 received scholarships up to $4000.) In 2010, the Digital Harbor High School Alliance, Inc. was formed as a 501(c) (3) non-profit to raise and administer funds for the scholarships and to assist with other school needs. The “Alliance” is comprised of the residents, businesses and community associations of the south Baltimore peninsula and Inner Harbor.
The financial assistance from us can be combined with other sources of funding. Students applying for the scholarships are evaluated based on need and merit through an existing system administered by BCF.

The Goal:
We aim to increase the number of recipients and the amount each receives. Our initial goal is to “bridge the gap” by providing substantial support for tuition and fees for as many qualified graduates as possible, targeting students chosen from a pool of about 30 applicants. Eventually, we would like to provide continuing support for a growing group of new and existing scholarship recipients.

The Cost of College:
College is expensive, as indicated by the following examples of last year’s tuition and fees. Generally, double the expense for room and board and other costs.

$2,905 Baltimore City Community College
$4,871 Community College of Baltimore County
$5,140 Coppin State University
$7,314 Towson University
$8,438 Morgan State University
$8,780 University of Maryland Baltimore County
$10,247 Medix School –West
$14,340 TESST College of Technology (medical, clinical assistant)
$25,750 College of Notre Dame of Maryland
$37,700 Johns Hopkins University

The Funding:
The DigiBall gala, scheduled for March 26th, from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Baltimore Museum of Industry, seeks to raise Dollars for Digital Scholars to meet our goal. The DHHS Alliance, comprised of community, business and education leaders, seeks sponsorships and donations. The names of all donors and sponsors will be posted on the Digital Harbor website, www.digitalharborhs.org, the DHHS Alliance website, www.dhhsalliance.org, and the DigiBall Auction website, http://www.dhhsalliance.org/silent-auction/, as well as in the event program and signage. This listing will be maintained as we proceed.
Contributors will be recognized in the DigiBall program, listed in technology-named tiers:

Terabytes: 10,000 +
Gigabytes: $5,000 up to $9,999
Megabytes: $3,000 up to $4,999
Kilobytes: $1,000 up to $2,999
Bytes: $500 up to $999
Bits: $100 up to $499

The Commitment:
The DigiBall Gala and the Digital Harbor High School Community Scholarship Fund are supported by the DHHS Alliance, the Digital Harbor High School parents and staff, and by the residents, businesses and neighborhood associations of the South Baltimore Peninsula. We are committed to the purpose of the fund and sincerely believe that whatever we can accomplish will transform the lives of the young people of Digital Harbor High School. Help us bring real change to Baltimore by providing the opportunity for Digital Harbor graduates to continue to grow and thrive! Please join us and help make a difference!

Buy tickets to the DigiBall Gala:
Online: www.dhhsalliance.org,
Various Sites in Baltimore as advertised

Donate to the Scholarship Fund:
Online: www.dhhsalliance.org,
Follow links to Donate on the Alliance site

Checks: Paid to the Digital Harbor High School Alliance
or
Paid to BCF (with a notation for DHHS)
Mailing Address: DigiBall, P.O. Box 6484, Baltimore 21230

Appreciated assets: Donated to BCF (arrangements made directly with BCF). Follow links
to the BCF site, Digital Harbor High School Community Scholarship Fund.

The Digital Harbor High School Community Scholarship Fund, a component of the Baltimore Community Foundation, and The Digital Harbor High School are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations — donations to which are tax deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law. For each $75 ticket, $50 is tax deductible, and $25 represents the value of the goods and services received.
The Digital Harbor HS Alliance, Inc. filed as a non-profit organization 501(c)(3). The application was acknowledged on 12/17/10; approval pending. Legal counsel states that “donations made while the application is pending are tax deductable”.

Digital Harbor High School Community Scholarship Fund is administered by
Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF), a non-profit 501 (c)(3) corporation
Address: BCF, 2 East Read St., Baltimore, MD 21202
Website: www.bcf.org
Phone: 410-332-4171