The Bristol Community College Foundation is pleased to announce a $175,000 gift from the Lucile and Bill Hicks Opportunity Fund. The funding was generously provided to support the college’s innovative STEM Starter Academy (SSA).
The STEM Starter Academy at Bristol Community College, an initiative of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, prepares and graduates a diverse body of students earning STEM certificates and degrees, transferring to four-year STEM programs, or entering the workforce. Among its activities, the SSA works with local high schools to recruit and educate traditionally underserved and underrepresented students and support their academic pathways in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) fields.
SSA promotes STEM engagement and retention through networking and career development events, free courses, tuition awards, academic support materials, access to faculty-supported research, collaborations with Bristol’s STEM Club, as well as seamless connections to partner colleges’ programs and resources.
Statewide, SSA students are twice as likely to complete their STEM degree or certificate. Upon graduation, Bristol Community College’s SSA students continue on to programs at four-year institutions, including Brown University, Bridgewater State University and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.
"Our gift to the STEM Starter Academy is an investment in the future of STEM education. We believe in the potential of every student, and this program provides the resources and support needed for them to thrive in STEM careers,” said Lucile Hicks.
"We are pleased and honored that the Lucile and Bill Hicks Opportunity Fund is supporting Bristol Community College and this important initiative,” said Judi Urquhart, Chief Advancement Officer, Bristol Community College. “These funds will go a long way to support students in the STEM fields."
For more information, please email bccfoundation@bristolcc.edu.