ADEA/WKKF Access to Dental Careers Program: Supporting a Dental Pipeline Concept and Program

Abstract

In 2001, funding from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) provided the resources necessary for the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) to lend its support to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Pipeline, Profession, and Practice: Community‐Based Dental Education program. Through the $1.1 million WKKF grant, ADEA was able to provide grants to eleven of the Pipeline schools. The awards were known as the ADEA/WKKF Access to Dental Careers grants. Each school received $100,000 during the four‐year grant period. The grant funds were used for direct educational support only to underrepresented minority and low‐income students. ADEA provided administrative support for distribution of funds to the schools and for reporting to the foundation. The grants provided educational support funding to underrepresented minority and low‐income students as an added value to the recruitment component of the Pipeline program. A total of 226 awards were made during the four‐year grant period. The average grant award was $4,867.25.