LIVERMORE FALLS — A $52,290 aspirations grant awarded this year to the Spruce Mountain High School South Campus will be used to increase the hours of the college access specialist to work with students and parents.
South Campus Guidance Director Sue Spalding has received several grants over the years to try to increase the number of high school graduates, especially first-generation immigrants and low-income students, to successfully continue to postsecondary education.
This is the second year the school has received a Maine College Access Challenge Grant from Finance Authority of Maine to assist the Livermore Falls campus. In 2010, it received a $37,600 grant. Prior to that it received MELMAC Education Foundation grants of $10,000 every year for four years to help students go on to college.
This year’s grant will allow college access specialist Sandra Wyman to work with juniors along with seniors and their families, Spalding said.
Workshops will be held on financial aid and personal assistance financial aid to help parents and students fill out applications for aid and admission.
Another of the grant’s goals is to provide career and college aspiration activities to students in grades six through 12, their parents and the community. In 2010-11, high school staff worked with middle school staff and Academic Boosters, including parents to put on an Aspire Higher program. The plan is to do a program this year, too.
The high school’s North Campus in Jay has a Gear-up grant that helps students and parents in a similar manner, Spalding said.
Staff from the two campuses will collaborate on programs for students, she said.
This past year, Spalding said, the Livermore Falls school was able to increase the number of students reporting intent to go on to two- and four-year colleges by 15 percent to 84 percent for 2010-11.
dperry@sunjournal.com
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