The John H. and Cynthia Lee Smet Foundation

The When John H and Cynthia Lee Smet started their family foundation in 1992, its goals reflected the Smets’ broad interests in a variety of charitable causes: religious, scientific, literary and educational. More recently, the Foundation has focused primarily on education, in large part because the Smets recognize and appreciate the many ways that education shaped their lives at work, at home, and in the community. With that in mind, they aim to give the gift of an excellent education to as many young Angelenos as they can. Catholic education, which offers a balance of academic rigor and Christian values in nurturing school environments, has been an area of special interest for The Smet Foundation. It currently works closely with the Catholic Education Foundation of the Los Angeles Archdiocese (CEF), and St. Matthias School in Downey, California. The Foundation supports the tuition assistance program of the CEF which provides scholarships to over 8,000 children in K-12 Archdiocesan schools annually. In 2009, the Smet Foundation started the Victorian Leadership Scholarship to support exceptional young women at St. Matthias High School. As of school year 2012-13 there were 18 Victorian Leaders 18 Victorian Leaders at St. Matthias High School. The first two Victorians will graduate in June 2013, and are headed off to college.

The transition of St. Matthias to the co-educational St. Pius X–St. Matthias Academy in school year 2013-14 presents an opportunity to expand the scope of the Victorian Leadership Scholarship. Going forward, the program will be known as The Onward Scholars Program and will be open to both boys and girls at St. Pius X–Matthias Academy. In addition to merit-based scholarships, the program will provide a dedicated counselor to assist Onward Scholars with tutoring, test prep, college planning and enrichment activities.

The John H. and Cynthia Lee Smet Foundation supports a number of other educational initiatives and organizations in the region, including Camino Nuevo Charter Academy in the MacArthur Park area of Los Angeles, The California Science Center, The Natural History Museum and Vistamar School in El Segundo. In the fall of 2013, in cooperation with the Superintendent of Catholic Elementary Schools in Los Angeles, the Foundation will begin funding a literacy initiative for Pre K through 3rd grade students in a handful of Catholic Elementary Schools in the St. Pius X– St. Matthias Academy feeder area.

The Foundation regretfully cannot consider unsolicited proposals, preferring instead to initiate projects at a small number of organizations over a sustained period of time in order to effect meaningful change. For more information about The Onward Scholars Program or the John H. and Cynthia Lee Smet Foundation, write to PO Box 625 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 or by emailing info@OnwardScholars.org.