New VyStar MOCA Centennial Scholarship to UNF
August 8, 2024
VyStar Credit Union partnered with Florida Prepaid College Foundation to fund a scholarship for a Bachelor of Arts Degree at UNF, which will be awarded to a member of MOCA's Teen Art Council.
VyStar Credit Union is proud to partner with the Florida Prepaid College Foundation (FPCF) in the creation of the VyStar MOCA Centennial Scholarship. The scholarship is part MOCA Jacksonville’s 100th anniversary celebration. This scholarship will empower one student to study for a Bachelor of Arts in the Department of Art, Art History, and Design at the University of North Florida, commencing Fall 2025. FPCF matched VyStar’s contribution toward these scholarships’ dollar-for-dollar, doubling the impact. The scholarship covers 120 credit hours.
“Arts bring people together, enrich communities, promote cultural diversity and make Northeast Florida a more vibrant and desirable place to live, work and play,” said VyStar President/CEO Brian Wolfburg. “We are honored to support the educational journey of a student with the VyStar MOCA Centennial Scholarship to UNF. We look forward to seeing the impact and difference they will make in the future”
The scholarship is directed at students who show an interest in the arts and are part of MOCA Jacksonville’s Teen Art Council, a volunteer service program that serves to empower local high school students by creating museum-based programming designed by and for teens. Members of MOCA’s Teen Art Council who are graduating high school seniors will have the opportunity to apply for the scholarship, which will be awarded in Spring 2025, prior to graduation. Applicants must be Florida residents and must have a Social Security Number. Teens in grades 9-12 are encouraged to apply to MOCA’s Teen Art Council through August 14, 2024.
“We are excited to be able to honor our founders’ vision through this amazing new scholarship,” said MOCA Executive Director Caitlín Doherty. “MOCA has had education at its core for a century and our partnership with VyStar for this scholarship is an invaluable opportunity for one of our committed teen volunteers to pursue higher education at the University of North Florida. I can see no better way to celebrate MOCA’s centenary than by providing an educational opportunity of this scale.”
MOCA Jacksonville was founded 100 years ago by a group of visionary, pioneering women — Marydelle Hoyt, Rose Tharpe, Louese Washburn, and Edith Harrison — who came together to imagine the kind of city they wanted Jacksonville to be and with the purpose of funding local public schools. At the core of their vision for a rich, vital, dynamic city were art, culture, and education.
In 2009, MOCA became a Cultural Institute of the University of North Florida, creating a turning point for the museum and bringing its ongoing themes of art and education full circle. The support of UNF broadens the museum’s reach and capabilities, while creating opportunities for meaningful work that impacts the local community and beyond. A century later, MOCA’s mission remains focused on the art, artists, and ideas of our time, with a vision that unites education, creativity, and community building in the heart of downtown Jacksonville.
“We are proud to partner with VyStar to offer 4-year college scholarships to a deserving student,” said Florida Prepaid College Foundation Director Cynthia O’Connell. “VyStar has demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting financial education and literacy, supporting the future workforce in Florida.”
MOCA's Teen Art Council
MOCA Jacksonville’s Teen Art Council is a volunteer group that empowers local high school students by creating programming by and for teens. Teen Art Council members meet twice a month to learn about the museum, engage with different departments, develop mission-driven projects, and plan an annual event for local teens. As Teen Art Council members create and implement programs, they will open doors to new audiences. Members also earn volunteer hours for their participation that count toward college and scholarship requirements.
Applications for the 2024-25 Teen Art Council are open through Fri, August 16!