What is KenSAP?
The Kenya Scholar-Athlete Project helps bright students from an underserved region of Kenya gain admission to elite colleges in the United States. Begun in 2004 as an informal effort on the part of its two founders, Mike Boit and John Manners, the Project has thus far helped place 29 students at the following institutions: Harvard (five), Yale (two), Princeton (two), MIT (two), Amherst (two), Hamilton (two), Mount Holyoke (two), Dartmouth, Williams, Wesleyan, Middlebury, Wellesley, Bryn Mawr, Smith, Brandeis, Carleton, Lehigh, St. Lawrence and Gettysburg. All have been granted full financial aid.
In 2005 the Project came to the attention of Canadian investor Charles Field-Marsham, who has business interests in the region from which it draws its students. He offered financial support, which has enabled the Project to pay its students’ exam fees and to conduct two residential training sessions for each new group of college candidates. During these sessions, which last a total of nine weeks, students prepare for SAT and TOEFL and are given an introduction to American colleges and the application process.