LAWRENCE -- University of Kansas alumnus and Olympic gold medalist Billy Mills hopes American Indian students studying education at KU will go on to teaching careers that will strengthen their communities.

Now those students will receive financial and mentoring support through a scholarship established in his name. Running Strong for American Indian Youth has pledged $25,000 to the Kansas University Endowment Association to endow the Billy Mills Running Strong for American Indian Youth Scholarship Fund. The fund will provide scholarships for American Indian students in the Multicultural Scholars in Education program in the KU School of Education.

Oglala Lakota (Sioux) Mills, physical education '62, won the gold medal in the 10,000-meter run at the 1964 Olympic Games. He is the national spokesperson for Running Strong for American Indian Youth, based in Lorton, Va.

"As a representative of Running Strong for American Indian Youth, I'm proud today to be able to give back to the University of Kansas to help the next generation of educators achieve their dreams," Mills said. "Our hope is that the recipients of this scholarship will give back to their communities as teachers."

Through the Multicultural Scholars in Education program, the School of Education seeks out minority high school students with an interest in education, provides scholarships and sustains a supportive network for each student throughout the five-year education program. This support includes access to mentoring relationships with faculty members and student peers, tutoring and other coursework assistance.

"The program goes beyond helping minority students forge successful college careers," said Angela Lumpkin, dean of the education school. "It nurtures the development of minority role models for elementary and secondary classrooms. This is important because the United States continues to become more diverse, increasing the need to provide highly trained, multi-ethnic educators to teach and serve as positive role models to all children. We are grateful to Running Strong for American Indian Youth and Billy Mills for this gift for our American Indian education students."

Running Strong for American Indian Youth was founded as a project of Christian Relief Services in 1986. The organization's mission is to help meet the immediate survival needs of American Indians and implement and support programs designed to create opportunities for self-sufficiency and self-esteem, especially among tribal youth.