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MassBay Receives Grant Funding

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Massachusetts Bay Community College is pleased to announce it has recently received the following grant awards:

Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Program, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education | $45,000
With the FY16 Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Grant, MassBay will focus on increasing college participation by underrepresented students, especially males of color; expanding the types of early college opportunities that are available; providing support services and college awareness activities to participating students; and strengthening the college’s partnerships with local high schools and community organizations.

Cybersecurity Collaboration Grant, Department of Higher Education | $195,735
Through the Cybersecurity Collaboration Grant, MassBay will collaborate with UMass Boston/BATEC to develop academic pathways from certificate to associate to bachelor’s level degrees to help address critical workforce demands of the Commonwealth. The project will use data sources and cutting edge industry standards to align program and curriculum design with projected industry need.

Perkins Postsecondary Allocation Grant, Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education | $172,529
The Perkins Grant program is designed to help students more fully develop the academic and technical skills required by high skill, high wage, and high demand occupations in current and emerging professions. This funding complements MassBay’s mission to train a highly qualified 21st century workforce that contributes to regional economic development.

Performance Incentive Fund, Massachusetts Department of Higher Education | $57,763 (MassBay) and $99,900 (MW Consortium)
For FY16 Mass Bay has received a continuation grant for its project focused on Advancing Student Learning Outcomes Assessment. This grant supports faculty professional development in areas of assessment, including the drafting of institutional, programmatic, and course-level learning outcomes. In addition, MassBay is awarded as a member of the MetroWest Consortium that received a PIF continuation grant for establishment and implementation of the College Planning Center.

STEM Mentoring, Verizon Foundation | $10,000
This Verizon Foundation grant will help to expand STEM-related mentoring activities at MassBay. Funds may be used toward recruitment of students, social activities, marketing, professional development and other activities that help students to get to know people working in STEM fields, develop their professional networks, and gain insight and have opportunities to enter STEM careers.

Financial Education Innovation Fund, Massachusetts Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation | $5,000
This grant, in partnership with Framingham High School, is for holding a financial literacy event for current and prospective students and their families at MassBay. On Thursday, November 19th, MassBay’s Framingham campus will host a Financial Reality Fair including up to 25 participating businesses and organizations. Representatives from visiting organizations will provide students with information and resources related to funding their education and managing their finances for life. Students from local high schools will be invited to attend.

National Science Foundation iCREAT: A pathway to middle-skill positions through the Introduction to Coding, Robotics, Electronics, And Technology Grant (iCREAT) | $899,648 (3 years)
Led by MassBay STEM faculty, iCREAT will recruit, retain, and prepare students from underrepresented groups to enter a STEM career pathway. This project will work with high school students beginning in their junior year and follow their development through obtaining certificates and degrees at MassBay. Students will be engaged in electronics, coding, and engineering design through interdisciplinary, project-based inquiry. Project partners include: Boston College (Lynch School of Education), Education Development Center, Mentornet, Framingham Public Schools, JP Keefe Technical School, and Waltham Public Schools.

Genzyme Foundation STEM Mentor Program Grant | $26,500
The STEM Mentor Program encourages underrepresented students—people of color, immigrants, low-income, first generation in college, and women—to consider STEM careers by giving them opportunities to get to know professionals in the science and technology industries. MassBay students are matched one-on-one with a partner company employee who shares their career interest and at times background. In the its first year, 38 Genzyme employees mentored MassBay students providing them with guidance related to their studies, introducing them to their workplaces through job shadowing, and forming bonds with them at networking events and social activities. This grant will allow the program to expand employees from other regional companies.

Vision Project Summer Convening Grant | $4,685
Through this grant, Framingham State University, MassBay Community College, and Mt. Wachusett Community College will engage in a MetroWest College Access STEM Summer Summit Series with the intention of 1) including STEM industry voices from the region to inform the higher education institutions about the most current trends for career success in STEM jobs and job placement; 2) sharing existing program awareness and best practices to begin streamlining their efforts in this area; 3) producing a written plan which would enable these institutions to work collaboratively to create a pipeline for the traditional and nontraditional learners of the MetroWest region to access education, jobs, and career success from multiple points of entry through stackable credentials and degrees.

National Endowment for the Humanities Latino Americans Grant | $3,000
Through the Latino Americans initiative Framingham State University, MassBay Community College, and Framingham Public Library will hold a series of film screenings and scholarly talks about the Latino presence in the United States. These humanities programs are presented in conjunction with the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) film series “Latino Americans: 500 Years of History.” On April 11th, MassBay will screen episode 4 of the PBS film, entitled “Peril and Promise” that focuses on Cuban refugees. The screening will be hosted by Professor Marco Mena.

Sudbury Foundation College Planning Center Strategic Planning Grant | $25,000
The Sudbury Foundation has provided a capacity building grant to the College Planning Center, an initiative of Framingham State University and MassBay Community College, to conduct a strategic planning process. This resulting strategic plan will inform the further development of this resource in the MetroWest region for encouraging college planning, access, and success for members of low-income and underserved groups.

Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 21st Century Grant | $420,000 (3 years)
Through a multiyear DESE 21st Century grant received by the Framingham Public Schools, MassBay and FSU students will receive training and guidance from Big Brothers and Big Sisters to serve as paid, afterschool mentors to Framingham middle school students. MassBay students will have the opportunity to develop their civic and leadership skills, while helping younger students increase their college awareness and readiness.