Scholarship Fund
The Middle School Scholarship Fund
Help a Franklin County, North Carolina middle school student spend a week learning marine science at a real university. For many of these students, it is their first look at what college could mean for them.
501(c)(3) Nonprofit Public Charity EIN 26-3737099 Tax-Deductible
Why Middle School
The Years That Shape a Future, and the Scholarships That Skip Them
Most scholarships are built for students finishing high school. By then, many young people have already decided what they are good at and what they could become. The Ben Franklin Society focuses on the years before that decision, giving rural middle school students in Franklin County, North Carolina, opportunities that few other programs offer.
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Formative Years
Grades 6 to 8 are when curiosity turns into interests, and interests turn into goals. One week can change what a student believes is possible.
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Few Scholarships Reach Them
Scholarship support for middle school students is rare. Our Board chose this age group because it is so often overlooked.
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Distance and Cost
For many families in rural Franklin County, a week of STEM learning on a university campus is simply out of reach without help.
The middle school years have few if any available scholarships, but we believe these are overlooked, formative, life-changing years.
The Need Is Growing
Local schools ask us for more scholarships than we can currently fund. Every gift helps us say yes to one more student.
Help Fund the Next ScholarshipWhat a Scholarship Provides
A Week of Marine Science on a University Campus
Each scholarship sends a Franklin County middle school student to a week-long summer science program at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. For many scholars, it is their first time learning on a college campus, and their first real look at science as something they could do themselves.
Program at a Glance
Leaders in Ocean Science: MarineQuest
- Host
- University of North Carolina Wilmington
- Length
- One full week each summer
- For
- Franklin County middle school students, grades 6 to 8
- Selected by
- Their own schools and teachers
- Scholarship
- About $1,500 per student
- 2026 Sessions
- July 5 to 10 and July 19 to 24
Hands-On Marine Science
Scholars spend the week exploring ocean and coastal science on the North Carolina coast, learning by doing rather than reading about it.
Life on a University Campus
Students experience a real university setting alongside young people from other communities, often for the very first time.
A Story to Bring Home
After the program, scholars return to our cabin to share what they learned with Society members, inspiring the next group of students and supporters.
More Programs Ahead
UNC Wilmington is our current program. Cole Jones, a Cedar Creek Middle School science teacher and Society member, is identifying additional programs suited to middle school students.
A Summer Program, Not College Tuition
This fund supports week-long summer learning experiences for middle school students. It does not provide college tuition or accept individual scholarship applications.
Your Gift at Work
See Exactly What Your Gift Makes Possible
One scholarship sends one middle school student to a full week of university science. Every gift brings the next scholar closer, whether you fund part of a week or an entire scholarship.
Part of a Week
$375
A Quarter Scholarship
Covers one quarter of a student's week at UNC Wilmington.
Give $375Half a Week
$750
A Half Scholarship
Covers half of a student's week of hands-on marine science.
Give $750One Full Week
$1,500
A Full Scholarship
Sends one Franklin County middle school student for the entire week.
Sponsor a StudentOur 2027 Goal
$6,000
Four Scholars
Our goal for summer 2027: send four students instead of two.
Help Reach the GoalGifts of any size count. Every donation is pooled in the Scholarship Fund toward the next student's week.
Tax-deductible · Receipt by email
In the News
Featured in The Franklin Times, March 12, 2026
Our Scholars
Real Students, Real Summers
The Scholarship Fund is young, and every scholar counts. Since our first awards in 2025, four Franklin County middle school students have spent a week of marine science at UNC Wilmington thanks to our members and supporters.
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2025
Myles and Tomeric
Our first two scholars, from Terrell Lane Middle School, recognized with their families and teachers at a Sunday brunch at our cabin.
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2026
Lorielle and McKensie
The first scholars from Cedar Creek Middle School, attending the July sessions at UNC Wilmington.
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2027
Four Students, With Your Help
Our goal is to double the number of scholars next summer.
Every Scholar Comes Back to Share
After the program, our scholars visit the cabin to tell Society members what they learned. Supporters see the impact of their gifts firsthand.
How It Works
From Your Gift to a Student's Summer
The Scholarship Fund is simple by design. Your donation goes into a dedicated fund, local schools choose the students, and every scholar comes back to share the experience with our community.
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You Give
Donate online, through workplace giving, or from a donor-advised fund. Every gift is tax-deductible.
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The Fund Grows
Scholarship gifts are kept in a dedicated Scholarship Fund, separate from our General Fund.
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Schools Select Students
Teachers and school staff choose the middle school students who will benefit most from the experience.
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Scholars Learn and Return
Students spend their week at UNC Wilmington, then visit our cabin to share what they discovered.
Trusted Partner
Z.B. Collie Foundation
We award scholarships in collaboration with the Z.B. Collie Foundation, a local 501(c)(3), which keeps our administrative costs low and our focus on students.
Fair Selection
Chosen by Their Schools
The Society does not pick scholars. The people who know these students best, their teachers and school staff, make the selection.
Open Reporting
Progress You Can Follow
We share fundraising totals and scholarship news in our free monthly newsletter, so supporters always know where things stand.
Ways to Give
Choose the Way That Works for You
Supporters from across the country help fund our scholars. Give online in a few minutes, through your employer, or as a grant from your donor-advised fund.
Fastest Option
Give Online
Make a secure donation to the Scholarship Fund through Zeffy, our trusted fundraising platform for nonprofits.
- Takes just a few minutes
- Tax receipt sent by email
- Any amount goes to the Scholarship Fund
Through Your Employer
Workplace Giving
If your company offers a giving program on Benevity, you can support the Ben Franklin Society there. Many employers also match their employees' gifts.
Find Us on BenevityFor DAF Holders and Advisors
Donor-Advised Funds
We welcome grants from donor-advised funds. Recommend a grant to the Ben Franklin Society Scholarship Fund using the details below.
- Name
- Ben Franklin Society
- EIN
- 26-3737099
- Address
- 1973 Rocky Ford Road, Kittrell, NC 27544
- Purpose
- Scholarship Fund
DAF gifts often arrive without the donor's name. Please let us know about your gift so we can thank you personally.
Who We Are
A Volunteer-Led Society Rooted in Franklin County
The Ben Franklin Society is a North Carolina 501(c)(3) nonprofit that has served Franklin County for about 20 years through education, historic research, youth opportunity, and community outreach. Founded by Bob Radcliffe and Kerry Carter and guided by a volunteer Board of Directors, the Society carries forward Franklin's belief that educating young people is the surest investment a community can make.
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About 20 Years
Serving Franklin County, incorporated in 2008
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Governor's Award
2008 NC Governor's Award for Volunteer Service, received by our founders
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Volunteer Board
Led by members who give their time to guide our work
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501(c)(3) Nonprofit
Public charity, EIN 26-3737099
The good Education of Youth has been esteemed by wise Men in all Ages, as the surest Foundation of the Happiness both of private Families and of Common-wealths.
Proposals Relating to the Education of Youth in Pensilvania, 1749
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Is my donation tax-deductible?
Yes. The Ben Franklin Society is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity (EIN 26-3737099), so donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. Please consult your tax advisor about your individual situation.
Does this fund pay for college?
No. The Scholarship Fund sends Franklin County middle school students, grades 6 to 8, to week-long summer learning programs, currently the Leaders in Ocean Science MarineQuest program at UNC Wilmington. It does not provide college tuition.
Who selects the students? Can a student apply?
Students are selected by their own schools and teachers, in collaboration with our partner, the Z.B. Collie Foundation. We do not accept individual applications.
Can I give if I don't live in North Carolina?
Absolutely. Supporters from across the country help fund our scholars. You can give online from anywhere in a few minutes.
How do I give through a donor-advised fund?
Recommend a grant from your donor-advised fund to: Ben Franklin Society, EIN 26-3737099, 1973 Rocky Ford Road, Kittrell, NC 27544, with the purpose "Scholarship Fund." Because DAF gifts often arrive without the donor's name, please let us know about your gift so we can thank you.
Will I receive a receipt?
Yes. Online donations made through Zeffy receive an email receipt automatically. Gifts made through workplace giving platforms or donor-advised funds are documented by those platforms and fund sponsors.
What happens if more is raised than needed?
Every dollar stays in the Scholarship Fund. Any balance carries forward to fund the next year's scholars, so your gift always supports students.
Summer 2027
Help Us Send Four Students Next Summer
Two scholars a year was our beginning. Four is our next step. Your gift today helps a Franklin County middle school student discover science, a university campus, and a bigger sense of what is possible.
Donate to the Scholarship FundBen Franklin Society 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Public Charity EIN 26-3737099