After the DC scholarships were awarded, they began thinking of a way to take the program nationwide and truly open the doors of educational opportunity.
John and Ted first announced the formation of the Children's Scholarship Fund at the New York Public Library on June 9, 1998.
Then Ted, John and CSF's new staff traveled across the country to secure partnerships in major cities and states.
Other cities with especially notable numbers of applications included Los Angeles (26% of those eligible), Baltimore (38%), St. Louis (32%), and Philadelphia (35%).
But it quickly became obvious that to truly ensure the children would gain a solid foundation, funding would have to continue through the 8th grade.
So, after the first four years, CSF went back to the partner programs and donors in an attempt to extend the original awards through 8th grade and allow younger siblings to get scholarships, too.