Bunker Hill Grant to Support Disadvantaged High School Students

Bunker Hill Community College received a significant federal grant recently, 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. The grant will provide $230,000 per year (for five years) through the U.S. Department of Education Talent Search program.

Bunker Hill Community College’s program targets the city of Chelsea, one of the most racially and ethnically diverse communities in the state. 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.