By Tim Arnett
WABASH,Indiana – On the next Wabash Talks, Clint Kugler, Co-Founder of the Wabash County Promise, talks about recent developments in the program which establishes college savings accounts in schoolchildren K – 3rd grade. Beyond saving money for college, the program attempts to teach kids that they are worthy of seeking higher education and that they can thereby change the world. Wabash County Promise, Kugler said, will grow to a total of 14 other communities in the state by the end of the year.
Last Monday, it was officially announced that the Michigan-based Mott Foundation had awarded a $430,000 grant to the Community Foundation of Wabash County to allow first-in-the-country cash scholarships for students in grades 4 through 8 in three areas: academic accomplishment, post-secondary planning or activities and family savings. This scholarship money will be deposited in a child’s 529 savings account for post secondary education.
Kugler said that the work done by the University of Kansas in studying Wabash and the Promise program has helped inspire the beginning of a similar program last year in Canada. Kugler went to Canada to talk about Wabash’s experience with 529 savings accounts last fall. Although he was reluctant to admit it, MiBash News was told at that time that Kugler was treated as a bit of a educational “rock star” on his trip to Montreal and other Canadian cities. Kugler did admit to MiBash News at the time that it was weird to go to another country – especially one that primarily uses another language like in Quebec – and be recognized by name.
But Canada might just be the tip of the iceberg. One of the major educational institutions in the field of asset building for students is Washington University out of St. Louis. Late last year, a member Washington University’s team studying the issue went to Israel to talk about the county’s apparent desire to start a similar program there. Clint Kugler.
Kugler said that he has no plans at the moment to go to Israel but he’d love to be able to spread the county’s Promise program in the promise land. To hear more from Clint Kugler talk about all the recent developments in the Wabash County and Indiana Promise programs, tune into Wabash Talks, tomorrow morning at 9 am, on 105.9 The Bash.