Bunker Hill Community College Wins $1,150,000 Grant to Prepare Students for College
Friday, September 23, 2011
Bunker Hill Community College received a five-year grant of $230,000 per year through the U.S. Department of Education Talent Search program, BHCC President Mary L. Fifield announced today. The Talent Search grant is designed to prepare high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds for entry and success in college. With BHCC as the lead institution, the project's other partners include the Chelsea Public Schools, Families United in Educational Leadership (FUEL), and Choice Thru Education.
Bunker Hill Community College's program targets the city of Chelsea, one of the most racially and ethnically diverse communities in Massachusetts. BHCC's program will serve 500 students per year at Chelsea High School and Eugene Wright Middle School. Students at these schools, who are low-income and will be first-generation-in-college students, will receive a comprehensive and customized array of academic, personal and financial services that will provide the support they need to complete high school and pursue postsecondary education.
The Talent Search plan of operation will assist participating students and families through:
- Individualized advising and case management by college coaches, including assistance with secondary/postsecondary course selection, career awareness, financial planning and guidance on college entrance exams and application procedures.
- Individual and group academic support by a team of academic coaches and tutors.
- Family budgeting instruction with strategies for establishing family savings and guidance on financial planning for college.
- Support for out-of-school and parenting youth, in order to link them to secondary school re-entry and G.E.D. instruction.
- Peer mentoring by high-achieving Bunker Hill Community College students.
- Campus tours to area colleges and universities, and participation in college events not typically available to high school students.
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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).