Scholarships

Two scholarships are offered annually to college-bound students honoring founders of WEASSP, Mr. Paul Spraggins and Mr. Albert Cooper. The scholarship amounts are of $1,000 each.

Albert P. Cooper, Sr. Scholarship

Albert P. Cooper, Sr. had been with the Milwaukee Public Schools for the past 33 years. He has served as
a teacher, counselor, assistant principal, principal and currently as a district administrator where he serves as
coordinator of the Preschool to Grade 5 Program. His educational background includes a B.S. in Education from
Knoxville College and a Masters in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Wisconsin
- Milwaukee. Currently he is a Doctoral Candidate in Educational Administration at Teachers College, Columbia
University in New York.

Mr. Cooper belongs to many professional and civic organizations and has served or is currently serving on
task forces and various Boards of Directors. He is the past president of the Metropolitan Milwaukee Chapter of Phi
Delta Kappa, the Milwaukee Elementary School Principal Association and Treasurer of the Metropolitan
Milwaukee Alliance of Black School Educators. In some of his leadership roles, Mr Cooper is co-founder,
treasurer and Board member of New Covenant Housing Corporation, co-founder and president of New Covenant
Credit Union, serves on the Board of Directors of the SOS Center, President of West/North Avenue Advancement
Association and SAFE Group Services. Mr. Cooper is co-founder of MMABSE II and MMABSE II Arete School
of Excellence and most recently he is co-founder of WEASSP (Wisconsin Educational Association of Student
Support Programs).

Paul T. Spraggins, Jr. Scholarship

Paul T. Spraggins, Jr. has been working with educational opportunity programs since 1973. He served as
Administrator for the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board and moved into his current position as Director of
the Department of Public Instruction Educational Opportunity Program and Office for Urban Education in 1982.
Prior to that, he was program director for the Watts Labor Community Action Program in Los Angeles, CA and the
Director of the Saugus Urban Residential Education Center in Saugus, CA. He has served on a variety of boards, as
a consultant regarding educational opportunities for youth and in particular, minority youth. He continues to stay
very active in a number of organizations and committees, such as the National Council on Youth Leadership, a
member of the Board of Directors for the Wisconsin Leadership Network, a member of the University of Wisconsin
System Research Committee on Minority Data Collection project, and a member of the Board of Directors of
Waukesha County Economic Development Corporation, Waukesha County Community Development Block Grant
Board, Waukesha County NAACP Board, National Chairman of NCEOA Corporate Development Committee and
president of the Waukesha NAACP.

Mr. Spraggins received his B.S. degree from Pepperdine University in Los Angeles and attended Tufts
University in Medford, Massachusetts. He has been a visiting lecturer at several colleges in Wisconsin as well as in
California and Kansas. Mr. Spraggins has continued in his efforts for young people for 30 years at the national,
state and local levels. He is also co-founder of the WEASSP (Wisconsin Education Association of Student Support
Programs).