Investing in the Next Generation of Black Scholars
The Juventas Foundation was established from a belief that educational access, opportunity, and long-term success should never be determined by circumstance alone. Across the country, young Black students — particularly young Black men — continue to face barriers within higher education, from financial hardship and limited institutional support to declining college enrollment and unequal access to opportunity, mentorship, and visibility.
The Foundation exists to invest in scholars whose leadership, resilience, ambition, and impact extend beyond themselves and into the communities they represent. Through scholarship support, mentorship, leadership development, and educational advancement, The Juventas Foundation seeks to create pathways for the next generation of young Black leaders to rise, thrive, and create lasting impact within their communities and beyond.
Rooted in the belief that collective advancement begins with intentional investment in people, The Juventas Foundation was created not simply to distribute scholarships, but to cultivate opportunity, leadership, visibility, and long-term impact for generations to come. Guided by the Foundation’s motto, Alter Alterum Elevet — “Let one elevate another” — the organization exists to ensure that success is not experienced individually, but used as a vehicle to uplift others along the way.
Our Mission
The Juventas Foundation is committed to investing in the next generation of young Black scholars through scholarship funding, leadership development, mentorship, and educational advancement. Rooted in the belief that collective progress begins with intentional investment in people, the Foundation exists to create opportunities that empower students to lead, serve, and create lasting impact within their communities and beyond.
Through initiatives such as the Elevare Vir Scholarship and the Promissum 1867 Scholarship, The Juventas Foundation seeks to support scholars whose ambition, resilience, character, and commitment to collective advancement reflect the values upon which the organization was founded.
Our Vision
The Juventas Foundation envisions a future in which the next generation of young Black scholars is fully equipped with the access, support, visibility, and opportunity necessary to lead, thrive, and create lasting impact within their communities and beyond.
Rooted in the belief that educational advancement possesses the power to transform not only individual lives, but entire generations, the Foundation seeks to cultivate a culture of scholarship, leadership, mentorship, and collective uplift among students whose ambitions extend far beyond personal success. Through intentional investment in people, The Juventas Foundation aspires to become a lasting source of opportunity for scholars navigating spaces where access, representation, and institutional support have not always been equally available.
The Foundation’s vision extends beyond scholarship funding alone. It is centered around building a legacy of educational access, leadership development, community impact, and long-term advancement for young Black students pursuing excellence at historically Black colleges and universities and beyond. Guided by the principle of Alter Alterum Elevet — “Let one elevate another” — The Juventas Foundation envisions a generation of scholars committed not only to rising individually, but to creating pathways for others to rise alongside them.
The Meaning Behind Juventas
Derived from the Latin word juventas, meaning “youth” or “the season of rising,” the name reflects both possibility and responsibility. The Juventas Foundation was built upon the belief that the next generation of young Black scholars possesses the ability not only to succeed individually, but to elevate entire communities through leadership, service, and educational advancement.
The Foundation’s motto, Alter Alterum Elevet — “Let one elevate another” — serves as a guiding principle for both the organization and the scholars it seeks to support. It reflects the belief that true success is measured not only by personal achievement, but by the willingness to create opportunities, access, and advancement for others along the way.
More than a name, Juventas represents growth, ambition, collective uplift, and the responsibility to invest forward as one generation rises alongside the next.
A Message From Our Founder
The Juventas Foundation was created from both personal experience and collective responsibility. Throughout my journey as a student, leader, and young Black man navigating higher education, I became increasingly aware of how transformative access, mentorship, opportunity, and financial support can be — particularly for students pursuing spaces where they have historically been underrepresented.
At the same time, I recognized a growing reality facing many young Black students across the country: extraordinary potential is too often limited by financial barriers, lack of support, and unequal access to opportunity. The Juventas Foundation was established in response to that reality and rooted in the belief that investment in people has the power to transform not only individual lives, but entire communities.
This Foundation was never intended to exist solely as a scholarship program. It was created as an investment in leadership, visibility, educational advancement, and collective uplift. Every scholar supported through The Juventas Foundation represents future impact — individuals whose ambitions, resilience, and contributions deserve to be cultivated, supported, and seen.
My hope is that The Juventas Foundation becomes more than an organization. I hope it becomes a lasting source of opportunity, community, and advancement for generations of young Black scholars who will continue to rise, lead, and elevate others along the way.
— Julian W. Jarrett
Founder & Executive Director
The Juventas Foundation