CENTER FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE

M & I Bank Awards Educational Grant to the Center for Academic Excellence and South Central Service Cooperative

The Center for Academic Excellence (CAE) and South Central Service Cooperative (SCSC) would like to thank M & I Bank for their generous donation of $5,000 to honor academic excellence and promote academic outreach programs for the 2005-2006 school year. Through the support of M & I Bank, CAE and SCSC have been able to honor students for their academic accomplishments as well as provide additional opportunities for educational enrichment activities for thousands of students in Minnesota.

M & I Bank has joined with CAE and SCSC to form an educational partnership aimed at acknowledging academic excellence in students and providing students and schools with increased opportunities for students to participate in various educational enrichment and competitive events. As a result of this partnership, M & I Bank was a featured sponsor at the Gathering of Champions statewide parade of Academic All-Stars last August at the Mall of America.

The Gathering of Champions is an annual statewide event honoring students who are named as Academic All-Stars by officials in participating schools. The honored students may include top academic achievers, students who have made a dramatic improvement in their academic work or achievement, and the top finishers in academic challenges and competitions at a regional or higher level endorsed by the state’s Academic League Council.

M & I Bank’s grant also helps to provide funding for many of the other academic outreach programs and competitions sponsored by SCSC including the Fine Arts Conference, Science & Nature Camp, Real World 101, MN Student Inventors Congress, MN Academic Decathlon, Math Masters, and the SCSC Regional Chess Tournaments.