Fisher College News
BNY Mellon Awards $15,000 Grant to Fisher College
"College 101" Courses and Academic and Internship Opportunities Improve Students' Readiness for Higher Education
BOSTON – The higher education prospects for Boston Public School (BPS) students improved with a contribution of $15,000 by the BNY Mellon Charitable Giving Program, through the generosity of the Arthur F. Blanchard Trust, in support of Fisher College's unique college readiness initiative, College 101.
"The Fisher community is deeply grateful for this show of support from BNY Mellon and the Blanchard Trust," said Fisher College President Thomas M. McGovern. "In our view, College 101 can be the model for the higher education-high school partnerships that should exist throughout Boston. If we are to prepare BPS students for college, and double the number of those who earn a degree, then we must be aggressive in assisting this generation of learners."
Launched in 2007, College 101 finds Fisher partnering with five BPS schools – Brighton High School, Another Course to College, Boston Community Leadership Academy (all of Brighton), Excel High School (South Boston), and Brook Farm-Media High School (West Roxbury).
College 101 is distinctive among college access and retention efforts in the Boston area as it unites several best practices of college readiness programs:
Students are on campus. The program is tuition-free. High school teachers and Fisher faculty collaborate in planning and teaching. Fisher students serve as Peer Mentors, help in the classroom, and serve as role models.
Courses are credit-bearing (3 credits) and include "persistence attributes" – skills like time management, study techniques, and the use of campus resources. Paid internships provide opportunities for career exploration. Dual enrollment enables students to earn an additional 6 credits.
College 101 graduates – more than 120 BPS students in all – matriculate into college at a higher rate than their peers. Just as important, College 101 builds high schools' capacity for college-ready curricula: teachers benefit from professional development seminars and other activities that improve their ability to prepare students for higher education. For more information about College 101, please visit our College 101 page.
BNY Mellon Charitable Giving Program cares about communities. Working with nonprofit partners, local agencies and our global corporate neighbors, we invest in initiatives that make our communities better places to live and work. Globally, through a combination of charitable donations and sponsorships provided by BNY Mellon and the dedicated involvement of our employees, the Corporation supports organizations and activities that drive positive change where it is needed most. At the heart, BNY Mellon's charitable giving is about lifting others – Powering potential. Investing in possibilities. Realizing dreams.