Milton Hershey School

Established in 1909 by the creator of the Hershey Chocolate Company and his wife Catherine, Milton Hershey School provides a year-round education to children for grades pre-kindergarten to 12th at no cost. Beyond schooling, the young people are provided medical care, clothing, and school supplies. In addition, the students live in on-campus housing with 24-hour security and are supervised by married houseparents. Milton Hershey School, led by interim president John Estey and senior vice president Pete Gurt, '85, serves boys and girls from many different cultural backgrounds that are from poor or otherwise socially limited households.

Creating a positive and nurturing atmosphere for the students, the school offers extracurricular activities such as varsity athletics, the performing arts, and 4-H. Older students can participate in career training, internships, and part-time employment with local businesses. Furthermore, graduates have an opportunity to earn up to $80,000 in scholarship money. With more than 85 percent of the its seniors going on to college - a much higher rate than underprivileged students from most schools - the success of the school is apparent.