MassEdCO has received a $73,700 grant from The Health Foundation of Central Massachusetts to expand their On Our Way - Education for a Bright Tomorrow Project to the Fitchburg, Leominster and Southbridge areas. On Our Way emphasizes a teen mother's education/career preparation and achievement while ensuring that her child's needs and her own parenting needs are being met. MassEdCO will employ its experience and skills in ensuring educational success, while collaborating with local social service providers for other support services. The program uses a case manager model to work with each young mother to help her complete high school and move on to postsecondary education. All three areas are dealing with rates of teen pregnancies that are significantly higher than the state average.
"MassEdCO is extremely pleased to have this opportunity to expand critical education access and support services to this population," says CEO Pamela Boisvert. "As we work with teen moms to ensure they reach their full academic and career potential, we know these services will positively impact not only their own future but that of their children as well."
The grant was one of eleven Activation Fund grants recently announced by the Foundation totaling more than $786,000.
“The goal of the Activation Fund is to enable an organization to move to a higher level of capacity and to then continue to function at that higher level after the grant ends,” noted Dr. Jan Yost, president and CEO of the Foundation. “MassEdCO has successfully worked with teen moms to help them continue their education and the Foundation is pleased to support the expansion of this program to Fitchburg and Leominster,” Yost added.