Atlanta, GA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/22/2011 -- Cheryl Dukes founder and executive director of the Colored Rock Foundation claims; "Through we applaud students who go to college, not everyone needs or wants to take that step in order to find their walk in life," and " We believe all walks of life are necessary in order to have a functioning society". To achieve this vision, the Colored Rocks Foundation accepts a variety of donations and support.

Donation can be a check payable to the Colored Rocks Foundation, Inc. and mailed to 1270 Caroline Street, Bldg D, Ste. 120-145, Atlanta, GA 30307. Matching gift programs from companies are also accepted. A tribute donation to one of the Colored Rocks scholars will be an in honor to one of them. Planned giving through one's will, life insurance or retirement plan is also a good donation option.

The Colored Rocks Foundation is also glad to accept in-kind donations for everything from advertising, to airline travel, jewelry, printing, photography, accounting and office space. Apart from in-kind support, a monthly giving plan and donation of stocks will be a great help to Colored Rocks. Volunteers to host special fundraisers by motivating friends and family, and by creating and managing fundraisers will help the foundation. By receiving your donations, the Colored Rocks Foundation will spend less on items needed to conduct business, allowing it to provide more prizes to Colored Rocks contestants.

Given that Georgia holds one of the nation's lowest graduation rates in the country where almost 1 out of 3 young men of color struggle to graduate from Georgia high schools, the Colored Rocks Foundation aims to help increase the numbers of African Americans, Native Americans, Latino Americans, Asian Pacific Americans and Multi-Racial Americans completing high school and utilizing their skills and talent to make a positive impact and good contribution in their communities.

Everyone can now be connected and up to date on happenings with the Colored Rocks Foundation by following them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ColoredRocks or following them on twitter http://twitter.com/#!/Colored_Rocks .

About The Colored Rocks Foundation
The Colored Rocks Foundation was established to address the failing graduation rates in Georgia among young men of color. The Foundation established a prize competition and expects to expand the awards beyond Georgia and make the competition available in a variety of categories as the foundation grows.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Atlanta, GA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/10/2011 -- The Colored Rocks Foundation has just announced it will award $5,000 in prize money for its first annual essay competition. The initial prizes awarded by the foundation will be made in September 2011 and are limited to young men of color who are attending high school in Georgia. The competition is open to those students who have completed their junior year of high school and who expect to be a senior graduating in 2012. Fifteen prizes will be awarded ranging from $3500 (First Place) to $50 (Honorable Mention).

Contestants will be judged on their written composition answering a thought provoking question. Included in each composition must be a plan for the applicant to use his talent to complete a project that benefits his community. All announced winners must complete their community project and graduate from high school before receiving their award. Winners do not have to use their prize money for college. They may use it for whatever purpose they desire.

"Though we applaud students who go to college, not everyone needs or wants to take that step in order to find their walk in life," claims Cheryl Dukes, the founder and executive director of the foundation. "We believe all walks of life are necessary in order to have a functioning society. Through our awards, we will show that young men of color can be significant contributors to their communities, no matter their chosen discipline. The important thing is to choose something and do it well."

Georgia suffers as one of 5 states with the worst high school graduation rates in the country. Those numbers are especially high amongst male students from diverse ethnic backgrounds. "It's disturbing that many of these young men are struggling to graduate from Georgia high schools," said Dukes. "In establishing the foundation, we saw this as an opportunity to turnaround one of Georgia's most pressing challenges and promising resources. Our intent is to help increase the numbers of African Americans, Native Americans, Asian Pacific Americans, Latino Americans and Multi-Racial Americans completing high school and using their talent to make a positive impact in their communities."

By creating a series of prize competitions, the foundation hopes to identify these 'colored rocks', award them and celebrate them. "Our vision," said Dukes, "is for our awardees to go into their communities as rising tides and lift a few more boats. If we can provide the platform for them to do this consistently, we'll all win."

The foundation expects to expand the awards beyond Georgia, and make the competition available in a variety of categories as the foundation grows.

Contest applications may be obtained and submitted online at http://www.coloredrocks.org. Deadline for entering the competition is October 22, 2011.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm