Wheelock College Education Award Sparks Next Generation of Philanthropy

BOSTON, Nov. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Collaborating on a special video project helped Beth Lowell generate a new passion for her family's philanthropic legacy -- and provided the 23-year-old Brookline resident with some insights regarding her own future.

For more than a century, the Lowell Family has been committed to accessible public education for all, beginning with the founding of the Lowell Institute, an educational foundation that provided free public lectures for the benefit of the citizens of Boston and continues to support dozens of nonprofits with educational missions.

Wheelock College will honor the Lowell Family with the 2009 Passion for Action Leadership Award on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 at Wheelock's second Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. Beth's father, William A. Lowell, a partner at Choate, Hall & Stewart, and the administrator of the Lowell Institute, will accept the award on behalf of his family.

The Lowell Family has had a long and influential history in the City of Boston and in the history of the United States. Generations have been instrumental in establishing influential educational institutions, including WGBH, which created a video tribute to the family's legacy to be shown at the Passion for Action Leadership Award dinner. Bill Lowell suggested his daughter, who works in the promotions department at WGBH's landmark "Frontline" series, help produce the short film. Beth says she got quite an unexpected education herself as a result.

"This project laid out the history of the family for me, most of which I did not know at all," said Beth. "Looking at it all was amazing -- how many people did so much to promote education. It was very progressive. And everybody was very inspiring to me."

Beth's ancestors include John Lowell, who served as a judge under President George Washington after the Revolutionary War; Francis Cabot Lowell, who introduced the power loom into the United States and is the namesake of the City of Lowell, Massachusetts; and the poets, Amy Lowell and Robert Lowell.

"It's a call to action to me, my brother, my sister, my generation. This legacy of giving back made me think long and hard about how I want to fulfill what has been passed onto me," said Beth, a Nahant native and Boston College graduate with dual degrees in English and Art History.

Continued public access to education brought home the philanthropic mission of the Lowell Institute, Beth said. The Lowell Institute is now one of the oldest continuing foundations in the country and funds many local educational programs and organizations.

The Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner aims to celebrate the spirit of the College through its students, alumni, and those in the Boston community who support Wheelock's mission to improve the lives of children and families throughout the world. With the funds raised at the 2007 Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner, the College created the Passion for Action Scholarship Program for outstanding first-year Wheelock students from Greater Boston.

These significant four-year scholarships are given to students who have demonstrated a strong commitment to community service and involvement. Wheelock currently has 10 Passion Scholars on campus and will continue to award five scholarships each year. The proceeds from the 2009 Passion for Action Leadership Award Dinner will support the growth of this special program.

About Wheelock College:

Founded in 1888 and located in Boston, Massachusetts, Wheelock College is a private institution with the public mission of improving the quality of life for children and their families. The College fulfills this mission by providing a strong education in the arts and sciences and in its professional fields -- child and family studies, social work, and education -- for which its undergraduate and graduate programs are nationally and internationally recognized. Through its academic programs and student experience, the College reflects the multicultural dimensions of the countries in which it operates and fosters diverse learning communities -- all of which contribute to the success, leadership, and impact that its graduates enjoy in a wide variety of careers. For more information visit www.wheelock.edu.

    Contact:    Mary Helen Gillespie
                Colette Phillips Communications
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