Specialized Programs
HeadStart to College
HeadStart to College, in its sixteenth year, tailors its services to the needs of students who have not attended school in a while, who have obtained a GED, who may be from culturally diverse backgrounds, or the first in their family to attend college. The project’s objective is to increase student success by offering remedial and introductory courses in small class settings and providing academic and student supports that promote growth and confidence. The project offers free a College Success Seminar that prepares students for the challenges they will face in college and a free Career Development and Exploration Seminar that helps students to make well-informed career choices.
Funded by the Department of Higher Education-Office of Student Financial Assistance
ESOL Pathway to College and Careers
This project is geared for ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) learners who have earned their ABE (Adult Basic Education) or GED (General Educational Development) diploma either in their native country or here, and aspire to continue their education. Program highlights include a high level of support, including tutoring and supplemental instruction; assistance with college paperwork; and orientation to the college and its resources. Over a three-semester period, five free college credits are earned through a College Success Seminar, a Career Development and Exploration Seminar, and a Fundamentals of Speech course. In addition, students attend two free non-credit ESOL for College courses. Additional highlights of the project include citizenship counseling and a work readiness module that is offered to the students in collaboration with the Greater New Bedford Career Center.
Funded by the Community Foundation of Southeastern Massachusetts Polaroid Fund
Pathway to a Career
This three-year project offers free classes in ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), ABE (Adult Basic Education), and GED (General Educational Development). A unique component to this program is the opportunity for students to choose to receive GED instruction in either English or Spanish and take the GED exam in that same language. New this year (2008) is a self-paced computer laboratory which allows students enrolled in ESOL/ABE/GED classes to receive extra support outside of their regular classroom instruction and work at their own level and at their own pace through an individually designed online curriculum. The lab is also free and open to those in the general community whose schedule does not allow them to come to our structured classes.
Funded by the Robert F. Stoico/FIRSTFED Charitable Organization
JET (Journey Into Education and Teaching)
JET is a free* accelerated bachelor’s degree and teacher preparation program for paraprofessionals who want to become teachers in a high-need school district. Written primarily for paraprofessionals in the SouthCoast districts of Fall River and New Bedford, JET offers the opportunity to obtain Massachusetts teacher licensure in elementary education and moderate disabilities, an area with well-documented teacher shortages. The University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMD) has partnered with Bristol Community College (BCC), Lesley University, and the Fall River and New Bedford Public Schools to provide this unique teacher preparation program. Paraprofessionals will obtain their associate’s degree in Elementary Education from BCC and then, through a Joint Admissions program, transfer as a cohort to UMD. There they will earn their Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts with an elementary education minor. Lesley University faculty will provide the Special Education (SPED) licensure requirements in an integrated instructional module. Features of this cohort model program include: distance learning and weekend courses; free MTEL prep; and a New Teacher Mentoring program upon completion of teacher licensure.
* Based on acceptance to the Massachusetts Teacher Preparation Grant
Funded by the Office of Innovation and Improvement, U.S. Department of Education
BCC /New Bedford Public Schools (NBPS) Partnership
Through this project, New Bedford Public School paraprofessionals are given a number of professional development opportunities. These include free ParaPro Assessment test prep workshops and testing for newly hired paraprofessionals to meet federal requirements; free college courses for those who want to work toward an associate’s degree; advisement for those pursuing teacher licensure through the Massachusetts Teacher Preparation Grant; and professional development activities on NBPS system-wide professional development days.
Funded by the New Bedford Public Schools
WISE Women
The WISE (Women in Successful Environments) Women project is a collaborative effort among Bristol Community College, the State Department for Transitional Assistance (DTA), the Massachusetts Community College Executive Office, and The Women’s Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts. The project is designed to ensure that economically challenged women of the Greater New Bedford community have the opportunity for self-sufficiency. Through a rigorous set of academic and training modules each participant receives the necessary skills to secure employment and continue their education on a career path toward a college degree. The model is based on a well-planned continuum of services leading participants through personal development; content-specific curriculum including up to twelve free college credits; job training; job placement; follow-up support; and continuous assistance in their respective certificate and degree programs to further enhance their careers/employment opportunities.
Funded by The Women’s Fund of Southeastern Massachusetts and the Massachusetts Community College Executive Office