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AUGUSTA – MaineSpark has awarded four $5,000 grants totaling $20,000 to initiatives promoting postsecondary success for underrepresented student populations.
Grants were awarded to Oxford Hills Community Education Exchange, Project Launch, Rural Aspirations and the University of Maine at Machias. The grants were made possible with support from the MELMAC Education Foundation and Educate Maine.
Grant applicants were asked to focus on improving postsecondary success for racially, socioeconomically or geographically underrepresented populations by developing innovative best practices incorporating one or more of the following priorities:
Oxford Hills Community Education Exchange will hold a virtual job fair, will increase awareness in local internship programs for high school students, is engaging area businesses to develop more job shadow and informational interview opportunities for students, and will revive and redesign the Aspire Higher program – their community’s annual signature event.
Project Launch will offer support for students who do not go directly into a postsecondary program and will partner with local employers and businesses to create internship, apprenticeship, and job placement opportunities. Project Launch also will partner with the Island Institute to allow students to participate in planned education and training events next spring. Events will include a college and career day, artists and makers conference, and a youth entrepreneurship week during April 2021 school vacation.
Rural Aspirations will support the second year of the Maine Forest Collaborative programming and plans to work with more than 50 students from 6 rural districts in Oxford, Piscataquis, Somerset and Franklin counties to contribute to the vitality of Maine’s forest communities. The group will also gather throughout the year to test their idea of “how we can use natural resources to positively impact local communities.” Through programming, school counselors will also become informed about programs and opportunities that they may not be aware of within the forest industry.
University of Maine at Machias will offer an Early College Summer Institute (tentatively planned for July, which may change due to COVID-19) at UMM for approximately 60 high school students focused on three different academic areas: Graphic Novel, Wildlife Law, and Psychology and Community Studies.
