BHCC Receives Somerville Housing Authority Grant
Monday, August 2, 2010
Bunker Hill Community College received a $23,000 grant from the Somerville Housing Authority to support an innovative educational model targeting residents of Somerville’s Mystic housing project who are currently attending BHCC. The project, funded by the Somerville Housing Authority, and known as SomerPromise will begin in the Fall 2010 semester.
For the SomerPromise Program, BHCC plans to work hand in hand with the Somerville Housing Authority and Somerville Public Schools. Students will receive faculty/staff and peer support in advancing their college education and supporting their children’s/siblings’ elementary school education, thereby developing a holistic, family-oriented approach to educational success.
There are currently 42 Mystic residents attending BHCC and it is anticipated that approximately 25 of these residents will participate in the program. The other “partner” in the program is the Healey Elementary School, also in Somerville. All of the BHCC students participating in the program also have children or siblings attending the Healey Elementary School.
SomerPromise will operate as a “Common Interest Learning Community” (CIC) at BHCC. Learning communities are the cornerstone of BHCC's student success agenda funded through a five-year Title III grant of nearly $1.9 million from the Department of Education, with the aim of increasing student retention by 15%, persistence by 10%, and program completion by 5% by 2012. CIC Learning Communities are designed to bring together students with common goals.
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About Bunker Hill Community College
With more than 50 years of academic excellence, Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) is Massachusetts' largest community college, annually welcoming a diverse community of around 16,000 students. With campuses in Charlestown and Chelsea, BHCC extends its reach across several locations in Greater Boston. The College offers associate degrees and certificates, early college and dual enrollment, community education, corporate training, and industry-specific training programs. BHCC is celebrated for its diversity, boasting a student body where 65% identify as people of color and more than half are women. The College also embraces a global perspective, with over 600 international students representing 90 countries and conversing in more than 65 languages. Our commitment to diversity is further reflected in BHCC's designation as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI).