UPO sponsors the UPO/Joseph A. Beavers Scholarship program that awards scholarships to deserving District of Columbia students. Named for Joseph A. Beavers, the late labor leader and former member of UPO's Board of Trustees, the Scholarship program is endowed with proceeds received from the agency's annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast that is held in January of every year.

The agency has awarded college and vocational scholarships since 1989 to students who aspire to improve the quality of their lives through the pursuit of higher education.

UPO is the only major Washington group that awards scholarships to General Education Development (G.E.D.) students as well as to high school graduates. As of 1999, UPO has awarded more than $200,000 in scholarships with proceeds raised from the agency's annual UPO Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Breakfast.

UPO awarded a record number of scholarships in the year 2000. Click here for the August 2000 UPO REPORTER article.

Previous UPO/J.A. Beavers Scholarships winners shown in the photo are from left, Tifany Reed (George Washington University), Yolanda Smith (Howard University), and Imani Baker (Syracuse University). Not shown are Ugochi Anyanwu (Cornell University), Jurail Kirkpatrick (George Washington University), and Myisha Robinson (Howard University).

Awardees are chosen based on their academics, writing abilities, community interests, personal need and others. All applicants go through an intensive interview process.

For additional information, call Ms. Cheryl Christmas (202) 289-9100, ext. 301 or send E-mail to : cchristmas@upo.org