The Merancas Foundation was founded by Anke and Casey Mermans in Charlotte, NC with their personal earnings from a successful photography business venture called PCA. As immigrants to the U.S., Anke and Casey experienced the challenges that new arrivals must overcome to assimilate in this country. They learned that hard work, innovation, and persistence can foster success, but they were bothered to see so many people working hard not be able to make a decent wage. The mission of the foundation is to impact the local community by investing in nonprofits that support those in crisis, provide pathways for adults to achieve self-sufficiency, and help children reach their greatest potential.

Collaborative partner, College AIM, was founded in Atlanta, GA by Sam Aleinikoff.

Collaborative partner, Carolina Youth Coalition (CYC), was founded by Aaron Randolph and Kathryn Kissam in Charlotte, NC.

The Merancas Foundation staff and family board member, Nicole Mermans, created the concept for the CAPS Scholarship, gathered a group of peers for a community focus group to provide various perspectives and set out to find community partners to help bring the concept to fruition. The impetus was her work at D’AIR, a nonprofit she co-founded in Atlanta, GA that focused on teaching life skills to teens through aerial dance. Over the span of 12 years she and fellow coaches naturally became mentors to numerous teens facing challenges during such a critical juncture in their lives and recognized the need and desire to stay connected well beyond high school through their postsecondary educational journey.

The Merancas Foundation officially launched the CAPS Scholarship as a privately funded initiative and was excited to land on Carolina Youth Coalition (CYC) and College AIM, with similar missions and resolve, as collaborative partners.

In January CYC and College AIM will select their first cohorts of 20 high school juniors each to enter the progam and will add their second cohorts in the Fall.