JPMorganChase is giving UCF $500,000 over three years for Parramore Launch Pad: STEM lessons at OCPS ACE, a free summer camp and mentoring at Jones and Evans.

Children in Parramore will get more science and math teaching, a free summer camp and new mentoring programs over the next three years. JPMorganChase is giving the University of Central Florida $500,000 to pay for them.

UCF announced the grant Wednesday. The money funds a new initiative called Parramore Launch Pad. It is run by the university’s College of Community Innovation and Education and by UCF Downtown, the campus that borders the neighborhood.

The aim, the university said, is to reach students in Parramore earlier, from kindergarten through high school, and prepare them for college and careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

What the money pays for

UCF said the three-year grant covers:

  • Lessons at the Academic Center for Excellence. UCF education professors and student teachers will work with staff at OCPS ACE, the pre-K through eighth-grade Orange County Public Schools campus in Parramore, during the school year and over the summer.
  • A free STEM summer camp. The weeklong camp for third through fifth graders started in summer 2026. It is run with OCPS ACE and the Levy-Hughes branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs. It is open to every student in Parramore and includes a free Levy-Hughes club membership for the school year.
  • Mentoring and well-being programs. H.O.P.E. Circle is an after-school youth program run with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida. H.O.P.E. Huddles is its in-school companion at OCPS ACE, Jones High School and Evans High School. Both focus on leadership, conflict resolution, teamwork and research skills.
  • Fellowships for the neighborhood. Over the next two years, UCF will award two fellowships a year to university researchers and two a year to leaders on the Parramore Community Engagement Council. They will work on the council’s priorities: education, affordable housing, employment and health.

What people said

“Efforts like this help ensure students at every level have the skills, tools and support they need to succeed and build futures they’re proud of,” said Betsheell “Billie” Udofia, a vice president and program officer for global philanthropy at JPMorganChase.

The Rev. Robert M. Spooney is the outgoing chair of the Parramore Community Engagement Council and pastor of Mt. Zion Baptist Church. “We’ve already seen such positive impacts from UCF Downtown and its proximity to our community,” he said.

L. Trenton S. Marsh, an associate professor of urban education who founded UCF’s H.O.P.E. Lab, said the youth programs are built on “shared ownership and co-creation” between adults, researchers and young people in the neighborhood.

How it fits with earlier work

This is not the bank’s first investment in the neighborhood. In 2019, JPMorganChase, the Helios Education Foundation and the Kresge Foundation funded the Parramore Education and Innovation District. UCF said that effort aimed to make sure Parramore residents shared in the growth around the new UCF Downtown and Valencia College Downtown campuses.

The university said the new grant also counts toward Go For Launch, its fundraising campaign.

What it means for you

  • Parents of third through fifth graders in Parramore can watch for next summer’s free STEM camp. It comes with a year’s membership at the Levy-Hughes Boys and Girls Club. UCF’s announcement did not give 2027 dates or a sign-up link. The OCPS ACE front office or the Levy-Hughes club are the places to ask.
  • Families at OCPS ACE, Jones and Evans may see the H.O.P.E. Huddles program at school.
  • Neighborhood leaders on the Parramore Community Engagement Council can apply for the community fellowships as they open.

Read more about the neighborhood in our Parramore guide, and find any school by address in our Orlando public schools guide.