[Sabeswest] Upcoming RFP / Transitions to College / NELRC

[George Kohout]

New England Transitions to College and Careers Pilot RFP
 to be released in early May
 
In early May, the Nellie Mae Education Foundation, in partnership 
with the New England Literacy Resource Center, will release a 
Request for Proposals (RFP) for The Transition to College and 
Careers Pilot Project.

 
Notification will be sent via email when the RFP is released. 
The RFP will be posted on the Nellie Mae Education Foundation 
and New England Literacy Resource Center websites in May 
www.nmefdn.org and www.nelrc.org. 
 

The Project will focus on helping adult learners access and persist
 in postsecondary education through the identification of and support 
for pursuing specific high growth occupations in health care fields 
that have developed career pathways and pay family sustaining 
wages. Classroom-based instruction and face-to-face counseling 
will be supplemented by an online course developed by NELRC 
that will provide academic and career development information 
tailored towards the health careers. All students will receive preparation 
in core academic and college readiness skills. The cohort for the 
program may also include students who are not pursuing health 
careers. Programs will provide these students with career planning 
guidance.
 

The New England Literacy Resource Center will assist the Foundation
 in selecting grantees for the project and will provide them with technical
assistance, training, and support for program implementation throughout
the grant period. Planning grants of up to $10,000 will be awarded to
four to six partnerships for the period from August - December 2008.
Partnerships that complete their proposed planning activities will be
eligible for up to $80,000 to implement the pilot program from January -
December 2009. 
 

The Foundation will seek organizations and institutions in the six New
England states - Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode
Island and Vermont - that provide Adult Basic Education, ESOL, GED or
Diploma classes as a primary educational service and also currently
offer program elements that support adult learners transitioning to
college.  These include public-purpose groups, such as schools and
colleges, and nonprofit organizations that qualify under the Internal
Revenue Service Code 501(c)(3).
 

Strong proposals will reflect experience and success in providing
services that support adult transitions to college and demonstrate
collaboration with postsecondary education partners. The collaborating
college should have a history of coordinating activities (e.g.
curriculum alignment, career advising, and career placement) with key
health care services employers.  Additional criteria and guidelines will
be detailed in the RFP. 
 
Please save your inquiries until the RFP is released in May.
 

Thank you,
Jessica Spohn
Senior Program Officer

 

About The Nellie Mae Education Foundation
The Nellie Mae Education Foundation is the largest philanthropy in New
England that focuses exclusively on promoting access, quality, and
effectiveness of education. The Foundation provides grants and other
support to education programs and intermediary organizations in the
region to dramatically improve underserved students' academic
achievement and to investigate and promote high quality, varied
approaches for students to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary in
the 21st century. The Foundation also funds research that examines
critical education policy issues and public understanding about
education in order to better inform efforts to improve education. Since
it was established in 1998, the Foundation has distributed nearly $83
million in grants. Currently, it primarily provides funding through five
strategic initiatives: Early Learning, Pathways to Higher Education,
Time for Learning, Adult Learning, and Systems Building.

 

About The Nellie Mae Education Foundation Email Network
Recipients of this email have been identified by the Foundation as
leaders in their communities with an interest in education. The
Foundation periodically contacts this key group of educators, providers,
policymakers, business leaders, researchers, advocates, and concerned
citizens to bring to their attention important education developments in
the New England region, including Foundation announcements. This is a
free service and the Foundation exercises discretion by limiting the
frequency and content of its emails.