Maine College Access Challenge Grant Awards
Project Title: Ashland District School Compact for Success (ADSCS)
Project Contact: Lynwood McHatten
Project Description:
The ADSCS will provide all students and parents with free programming to increase career and post-secondary aspirations for all through a variety of courses, informational meetings, field trips, speakers and tutoring, with low income students being given priority in all programming. The program will include career awareness, the college application process, financing options and successful completion strategies for students attending post-secondary institutions.
All students will take College Admissions 101. All juniors will take an SAT Prep class. The senior English classes will require filling out at least one college application and the FAFSA. College Admissions and Financial Aid personnel will speak to the classes to provide insight from the colleges on these two topics. All students will take the ASVAB and CHOICES interest survey and career search to help expand their knowledge of career opportunities available. Speakers on a variety of careers will be brought to in to talk about specific careers.
All students will take college visits, attend a college fair and those that meet academic guidelines will be given the opportunity to complete college courses while still in high school. The guidance office will conduct follow-up sessions in November/December to ensure that students going on to post-secondary are being successful and offer assistance to students.
Teaching staff will be informed of the grant’s goals and apprised of ways to help raise student aspirations. Families will be offered opportunities to take part in all segments of the program outside of class work.
Project Title: Keys to College
Project Contact: Bridget Mullen
Project Description:
Bowdoin College Upward Bound will partner with The Joseph McKeen Center for the Common Good at the College and the Maine College Circle to offer “Keys to College” in twelve of Maine’s most disadvantaged communities. The project will provide 150 low-income families in Washington County, Lewiston, Lisbon, Gardiner and Bath with key information and skills for college access and success in order to significantly increase financial literacy and awareness of postsecondary opportunities. “Keys to College” leverages the best practices and the established contacts of Bowdoin Upward Bound to unlock low income students’ potential. Teams of college and high school students will receive “Keys to College” training from Upward Bound and volunteer experts from Bowdoin’s Office of Student Aid and Admissions. “Keys to College” addresses the college access pipeline by bringing trained teams into elementary, secondary and postsecondary schools in each community. Elementary outreach generates excitement for exploring college options through fun activities and also provides financial planning information to parents. Secondary outreach continues to offer key college access information and energize postsecondary exploration, but focuses more specifically on how to pay for college, debt management and completing the FAFSA in the senior year. Postsecondary outreach includes nuts and bolts information about debt management and hands-on assistance with completing the Renewal FAFSA.
Project Title: Personalized Aspirations Planning
Project Contact: Linda Fuller and Susan Hamilton
Project Description:
MELMAC enables our students to begin the process of identifying their career goals, however broad, and then to connect those aspirations to a plan. Ellsworth High School's Personalized Aspirations Planning is our continued effort to reach the final 20 to 25% of our students who in their senior year still struggle in making those connections. A single purpose college and career counselor works with identified lower income, first-generation students on a weekly basis to ensure that graduation day finds them with a solid path toward continued learning and career development. After participating in MELMAC activities, from attending College Fairs to visiting a variety of campuses to interacting with community members and professionals in our biannual Career Day, students have a sense of possibilities. The college and career counselor maintains that weekly individual dialog with an informed support person that is so necessary for completing all the details required by institutions and programs. Families play an important part in the formation of the unfolding plan to the extent they are able via phone calls and notes when meetings create an employment hardship. The sole-purpose career counselor also works closely with the student's traditional school counselor and advisor to ensure a smooth transition.
Project Title: Campus Invasion
Project Contact: Connie Goulatis
Project Description:
GSME proposes three (3) Campus Invasion events to encourage girls to pursue higher education, particularly those who would be first in their families to attend college, girls with disabilities, as well girls from economically disadvantaged and immigrant populations. Each campus event will be held at a different university to encompass a diverse geographical area, and will involve the participation of up to 50 high school sophomore to senior grade girls per event. Round trip bus transportation to each campus will be provided. Girls participating in the Campus Invasion program will explore the campus, tour educational facilities, engage in meaningful conversations with university staff and students, and conclude their campus visit by working with consultants to understand and complete college and FAFSA applications. At dinner following the event and on the bus ride home, Girl Scout volunteers and staff will be on hand to answer questions and to ensure a positive ending to the day.
Project Title: LFHS College Aspirations and Access Grant
Project Contact: Susanne Spalding
Project Description:
The Livermore Falls College Aspirations and Access Grant would expand the current capacity for personal support to first generation and low income students and their families. The addition of “programs” will only benefit those who actually attend, and many low income families do not attend. Increased personal attention is the only way to reach many of the families most in need of help and support.
This College Aspirations and Access Grant will provide:
- Additional staffing, specifically increased secretarial assistance, and a part-time “College Access Specialist” to carry out many of the activities of the project;
- Personalized assistance, to students and families, with the college admissions and financial aid processes to ensure that all PINS are secured and FAFSA’s filed by February 15th;
- Increased opportunities for campus visits, especially to community colleges;
- Visits to the homes of first generation and low income students during the financial aid process, the spring award letter time, and during the summer to help keep students “on track”;
- Encouragement to families to take advantage of opportunities such as free financial aid workshops, as well as personalized financial aid counseling from a Bates College professional;
- A financial literacy experience to all Livermore Falls seniors;
- Increased opportunities for partnerships, such as with the Success Program at the University of Maine at Farmington. A partnership already exists between the UMF Upward Bound Program and LFHS; and
- Increased individual attention to all seniors planning to attend a community college, especially first generation and low income students.
Project Title: College Courses as an Access and Success Strategy
Project Contact: Liz McCabe Park
Project Description:
Maine Campus Compact (MCC) requests a grant for college access and college success. Our proposal will mobilize students from a variety of college courses to work with high school or adult education students on college awareness, the application process and financial planning. Two impacts will result; 1) more people will have the help they need to enroll in college, and 2) college students will improve their own success in college through increased academic challenge and engagement. Maine Campus Compact will train eight college faculty members from targeted areas of Maine and a diversity of academic disciplines to deliver their regular courses in a way that involves college students working with low income, first-generation, and/or underserved Mainers on college access. Faculty will create their courses at an institute to be held in January, and will deliver courses during 2011. Students in these courses will work in existing partnerships with area high schools and adult education centers to perform one or more of these services: mentoring, tutoring, bringing high school/adult ed students to campus for admissions visits and one-on-one time with current college students, information nights for parents and families on the college application and financing process, college essay editing events, and assisting students in filling out the FAFSA. We will measure progress toward our goals using a brief survey of high school/adult ed participants. In addition, the college students will participate in a study demonstrating the effects of these classes on their own retention.
Project Title: Seque: Transition Academy
Project Contact: Lorraine Robida and Brenda Gagne
Project Description:
The correlation between earning a college degree, employment, and lifetime earning potential is well documented. While supportive and legal efforts have resulted in soaring college enrollment rates among individuals with disabilities, these developments haven't translated to more college graduates, higher representation in the labor force or lower poverty rates. In fact, individuals with disabilities are significantly less likely to enroll in college, and twice as likely to be unemployed or living at the ‘near poor’ poverty level.
Segue: Transition Academy is a cohort-based, multi-level program offering comprehensive college preparatory and transition services to twenty individuals with disabilities. Eligible individuals are students at Marshwood Adult Education, Noble Adult Education and Noble High School enrolled in grades 11 and 12.
By offering classes, individual/small group sessions, presentations and activities in academic skill building, college success, career planning, and financial literacy, Segue: Transition Academy prepares students for the transition to college. Education, activities and experiences that focus on disability awareness, self-advocacy, legal issues and funding sources for assistive/adaptive equipment prepare students for the transition to college as a student with a disability.
Segue: Transition Academy facilitates connections between student, resources, and support systems that will sustain the student throughout their college career. Family members, agencies for individuals with disabilities, services for disability documentation, local colleges, FAME, and MEOC will participate in and/or lead activities to provide students with not only insight into the challenges they may face as college students, but with strategies needed to address them.
Project Title: C.A.S.H. - College Access - Support Happens
Project Contact: Hillary Bush
Project Description:
This program provides parents of underrepresented students with information about the benefits associated with post-secondary education. The Parent Turismo will be a one-day college tour giving parents access to a college campus and information about the admissions process and financial aid.
Project Title: Expanding College Access Opportunities
Project Contact: Stephanie Doyle
Project Description:
Portland Schools has a strong commitment to providing outstanding college access programs for their students. The School Administration at all three highs schools works closely with the district’s GEAR UP liaison, Jobs for Maine’s Graduates advisor, and guidance departments, to create a myriad of opportunities for students to gain the necessary skills and information to be better prepared for the college application process. This important step can be a challenging and frustrating one for both the student and their parents as they prepare for high school graduation and begin their transition to post-secondary education. Part of any strong college access program is to ensure that students have the adequate technology supports available in order for them to make appropriate and informed choices about their post-secondary options. Two technology programs are that are helpful in ensuring a thoughtful and meaningful college access process are the ACCUPLACER test and the NAVIANCE program. The purpose of this grant application is threefold:
1. Ensure that all students at Portland’s High Schools take the ACCUPLACER at least twice yearly.
2. Ensure that all of Portland’s high school students have access to NAVIANCE. At present, only students at Portland High School and Deering High school are afforded that opportunity. Casco Bay High School does not currently have the funding for NAVIANCE.
3. Ensure that Portland’s high school students are adequately prepared to take the SAT.
Project Title: SPICE Virtual Center
Project Contact: Pat Hughes
Project Description:
The SPICE program (based on reviews from the Maine Department of Education and the Federal Department of Education) is currently creating a virtual educational center for the families in the program. This center will contain rooms for the student to visit for class work, community, guidance, and private conversations with the administration and instructors. All students will have access to the Internet and laptops. Since we live in a 440-square mile district and have a 79% free and reduced lunch program, and most of our students fall under the poverty level, rural isolation is a real concern. This center will give access for our students to interact with other families in our program. Because the program is home-based, family events are few and far between. The center visit and use will be required for all our families. Learning to navigate through technology will also help our students gain necessary technology skills needed in the 21st Century workplace.
If this grant is awarded, the program will add three rooms to the virtual site. They include a math and English college prep class and a room for FAFSA forms to be viewed/completed by all ATP SPICE students. This room will also contain information about financial literacy and monitored by SPICE staff. Questions will be forwarded to the appropriate agency to be answered in a timely manner. This addition will allow students to become college-ready and help the flow of the paperwork by the students to start their post secondary education.
Project Title: First Access for Future Success
Project Contact: Diann Bailey and Deb Bomaster
Project Description:
RSU 11 & RSU 38 currently implement a college transition project funded through the Maine College Transition program. This proposed MCACG project will enhance our current services. With additional funding, RSU 11 (Gardiner) Adult Education can increase college coaching hours and RSU 38 (Maranacook) Adult Education can hire a part time college coach. Our project will provide an integrated program of services to assist adult learners in making a successful transition to post secondary education. Our target population consists of currently enrolled GED and high school diploma students, program graduates, and other adults referred by post-secondary institutions. Our services will focus on populations of under-served, first-generation, and low income students.
Focus Area 1: Academic Preparedness
A variety of college transition course work will be available and, in addition, students will complete and submit one college application and FAFSA form.
Focus Area 2: Intensive Counseling
We will employ two (2) college transition coaches whose job it will be to develop personal relationships with transitioning adults. The goal of the coaching relationship is to ensure that all students fully explore their educational opportunities and become prepared to be successful in college.
Project Title: SOAR - Student Opportunities are Reachable
Project Contact: Suzanne Rojas
Project Description:
Picture this …
Adults from the 20th Century floundering around in the 21st Century with little or no technological skills to keep up with the pace of today and tomorrow. Their sons, daughters, grandsons or granddaughters walk around with their cellular phones or handheld devices texting, downloading pictures, surfing the web without a second thought. Do you know what you want to be when you grow up? Do you know what steps need to be taken to get there?
By providing additional technology integrated throughout RSU 19 Adult Education’s diploma and college transitions (the DEPOT – Developing Educational Purposeful Opportunities Together) programs and one-on-one career counseling, we will help guide adults to SOAR above their expectations and take a leap into the future. In addition to the technological advantage, we will provide students with opportunities to meet college representatives for question and answer sessions and tour the various college campuses.
In order for us to appropriately teach and counsel our students, we (the staff) need to become current with our own technology proficiencies. With the addition of professional development in our programs, we will keep up-to-date on technology use in our program as well as at the college level and become an added resource for our students.
Project Title: Bridging the Gap: Ensuring College Success for GEAR UP Students
Project Contact: Kathryn Markovchick
Project Description:
This project is designed to address the unique and complex challenges faced by GEAR UP graduates as they embark on their college journeys. Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programming, GEAR UP, is a federal discretionary grant program designed to increase the number of low-income students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. GEAR UP graduates in Maine represent a subset of underrepresented students from throughout the state. Bridging the Gap, drawing on the most current research and data, will provide personalized mentoring and support for GEAR UP graduates on four Maine college campuses. Specifically, mentors will work with participating GEAR UP graduates to establish goals and action steps to support successful completion of college programs, identify college-based resources, and develop a process to address challenges in a proactive and targeted manner. Additionally, the mentors will share findings and data from this project to inform the efficacy of the existing college support programs, identify potential barriers or resource gaps, and serve as a resource to the institution in adapting, adopting, or creating more efficacious supports for underserved student populations. Importantly, data from this project will be analyzed quarterly to continuously review and improve project activities and outcomes. The research and information garnered through this project will be shared among GEAR UP high schools to continually improve their college access programs. This research will also be disseminated among project partners and others invested in ensuring Maine students achieve postsecondary success.
Project Title: YO-UMA
Project Contact: Jonathan Henry
Project Description:
As the economy languishes and more traditional-aged students think about college close to home, UMA, as a commuter institution has a unique opportunity to provide local high school graduates with a “taste” of college life. More importantly, UMA seeks to engage disadvantaged students and parents with the message that college is necessary for future success, and that the learning environment is inviting, challenging, accessible, and affordable right in the Augusta region.
YO-UMA - Summer Camp with College Credit, (July 25 – August 5, 2011) will address the need to introduce local youth to the college experience through an affordable summer one- or two-week day camp with college credit. It is an interdisciplinary immersion program on the UMA Augusta campus for rising high school sophomores, juniors and seniors.
Project Title: UMF Upward Bound Challenge Project
Project Contact: Lynn Ploof-Davis
Project Description:
The UMF Upward Bound Challenge Project will serve 60 current Upward Bound students, grades 10-12, and approximately 200 low income and first generation students currently enrolled at the University of Maine at Farmington. UMF Upward Bound is a federally funded TRIO program. For the past 30 years, the program has successfully served over 600 students and their families from target high schools in West Central Maine. The UMF UB Challenge Project will provide a comprehensive group of services designed specifically to increase the number of low income and first generation students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education. The project will also:
• Increase students’ financial literacy and help them learn how to save for college
• Help students successfully complete the FAFSA
• Provide students with college visits and experiences designed to help them to locate and enroll in a college that meets their specific needs
• Help current UMF students understand debt management and the value of financial planning
• Provide assistance and support to target school personnel to increase their knowledge of the needs of low income, first generation students
• Provide professional development to full-time Upward Bound staff to increase their knowledge of financial literacy, financial aid and college access.
Project Title: $uccess! Planning for College and Beyond
Project Contact: Darylen Cote
Project Description:
Conducted by a program with 30 years experience in the field of college access for disadvantaged youth, the “$uccess! Planning for College and Beyond” project at the TRiO Upward Bound (UB) program at the University of Maine at Presque Isle focuses on: 1) financial literacy and college savings for UB students and parents, 2) retention of TRiO eligible students through the first two years of college, and 3) completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by UB students, high school seniors in Aroostook County, and current college students.
A “College Finance Specialist” develops and implements a 12-hour interactive curriculum for UB students and families. Full-time UB staff, area financial personnel, and a student business intern assist with “$uccess!” financial literacy sessions. Some information shared includes budgeting, credit cards, loans, and saving for college.
A “College Retention Specialist” works with first and second year college students assisting them with barriers that inhibit college completion. Sensitive issues such as class attendance, study habits and skills, communication, money management, depression or other topics are elicited and addressed through intensive outreach.
Upward Bound staff continues to assist with delivery of College Goal Sunday (CGS) for high school students in Aroostook County with FAME support. In addition, a concerted effort to promote CGS or other FAFSA “lab” to current college students at the University of Maine at Presque Isle assists them to obtain maximum financial aid.
Project Title: College Bound: From Foster Care to College
Project Contact: Laurie Davis
Project Description:
Youth in foster care aspire to attend and graduate from college but the stark reality is that only a handful actually achieve their educational dreams. USM’s College Bound Program will support 12 youth in foster care in Cumberland and York counties in gaining the knowledge and skills necessary to graduate from high school and enroll, persist, and graduate from college. Meeting weekly with their College Bound advisor, each student will develop and implement a personalized College Success Plan that identifies the information and services needed including academic tutoring, study skills, test preparation, college and career exploration, financial literacy, college savings plans, and leadership skill development and visits to college campuses in both Maine and out of state.
In addition, 160 of the 207 youth, ages 12-18 years in foster care in Cumberland and York counties will have the opportunity to attend a College and Career Day at either the University of Southern Maine or Southern Maine Community College, participating in workshops on college and career exploration, financial literacy, FAFSA preparation, leadership development; touring the campus and residence hall; and eating lunch in the dining hall. College Bound students will assist in planning and implementing these workshop days in collaboration with students in/from foster care currently attending SMCC and USM.
Professional development activities designed to increase school staff awareness and understanding of the issues youth in foster care face when attempting to prepare to pursue a postsecondary education will be provided at each school where a student is being served.
Project Title: Career Passports
Project Contact: Anne Fensie
Project Description:
Career Passports will be available to high school juniors and seniors, as well as adults in the community. Students will complete activities on their journey to career success—filing the FAFSA, submitting a college application, completing the Career Decision Making Tool, taking the Accuplacer, visiting college campuses, job shadowing, developing an educational plan, completing test preparation, attending a college success workshop, meeting with an advisor, etc. Assistance will be provided to complete these activities at times that are most convenient, including during the school day, after school, evenings, and weekends. The Lincoln County College Connection will be expanded to provide services for inmates at Two Bridges Regional Jail, additional outreach throughout the county, and to provide additional support locally for students during the first semesters in college. Academic instructors at Wiscasset High School and Adult Education will work with faculty at community colleges and universities to align their curriculum with higher education, ensuring that students are indeed prepared to enter postsecondary education and succeed.