The Nellie Mae Education Foundation, the largest philanthropy in New England focusing exclusively on education, has awarded a $250,000 grant to Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) to expand JMG’s services to more middle and high school students through high quality personal development, leadership and other 21st century skills.
“JMG’s creative approach to providing innovative routes to success for students whom the traditional system has failed is something we are glad to support,” said Nicholas C. Donohue, President and CEO of the Nellie Mae Education Foundation. The evolution of their work to more directly challenge familiar definitions of schooling is a bold and welcome contribution to education reform. Most importantly and immediately, this work could provide students with opportunities to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary today to become economically self-sufficient lifelong learners.”
JMG is a private non-profit that partners with middle and high schools across the state to assist students who have been identified as most likely to disengage from school and not reach their full potential. “JMG’s programs are designed to ensure that students graduate, develop career aspirations, and pursue continued education,” said Craig Larrabee, CEO of JMG. “The investment from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation will allow JMG to continue to bridge classroom learning with real-life experience and activities, to expose students to more opportunities. We can create more ‘light-bulb’ moments for students.”
Last fall, the Center for Workforce Research & Information at the Maine Department of Labor released a study about the long-term impact of JMG’s programs. According to the study, six years after graduating from high school students who had been enrolled in a JMG program were making 14% more in quarterly earnings than all other 22 to 24 year olds in Maine. And, during those six years after high school graduation, 42% of JMG students had attended a 2 or 4 year post secondary education institution.
Governor John Baldacci, who is currently the Board Chair for Jobs for America’s Graduates, says of JMG, “The program works, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. JMG is very successful in positioning these young people to continue their education and to make it in the workforce.”
JMG is a vocal proponent that education is not simply the business of schools but of the whole community. As such, JMG works to facilitate partnerships that result in diverse pathways for students. “A unique aspect of JMG is that its approach is to excite and engage students in their futures. To accomplish this, the program exposes students to a variety of careers and the training necessary to succeed,” says Peter Vigue, CEO of Cianbro, an international construction company based in Pittsfield, ME and one of Maine’s largest employers. “JMG seeks to get students excited about continued education and learning in general by showing them how education relates to the real world.”
For more information, contact:
Lisa Gardner, JMG Communications Manager, 207-620-7180 ext. 209
Nick Lorenzen, Nellie Mae Education Foundation, 781-24-4239
