The BayCoast Bank College and Career Awareness Initiatives will fund campus tours for local 7th and 8th-grade students
UMass Dartmouth was recently awarded a $75,000 grant from BayCoast Bank to fund the University’s highly successful College and Career Awareness Initiatives, including the 7th Grade Campus Tours and the 8th Grade College and Career Summit.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with UMass Dartmouth in inspiring the next generation of thinkers and leaders,” said Nicholas M. Christ, President and CEO of BayCoast Bank. “While a picture may be worth a thousand words, there is no greater impact than actually experiencing the magic of a visit to the University’s campus - feeling the energy and excitement in person can have a powerful, transformative impact on our young students and their educational aspirations.”
“I am thankful for BayCoast Bank’s partnership as we work together to get more kids to and through college on the SouthCoast,” said Mark A. Fuller, Ph.D., Chancellor of UMass Dartmouth. “As a first-generation college student, I know how daunting earning a college degree can seem, and I’m proud of our efforts to demystify the experience.”
The partnership between UMass Dartmouth and BayCoast Bank has allowed more than 48,000 7th and 8th grade students from across the SouthCoast to visit campus over the past eight years. The college tours, facilitated by the Leduc Center for Civic Engagement, bring every single 7th grader from Fall River and New Bedford Public Schools to UMass Dartmouth for an interactive, academically focused campus tour led by university students. These tours introduce students to the learning opportunities available on a college campus and encourage them to envision themselves in a higher education environment. BayCoast Bank has also supported the production of an interactive video tour of UMass Dartmouth made available to all other school districts in the region.
“Having UMass Dartmouth students, with backgrounds similar to the youth leading the tours, makes it easier for the 7th graders to see themselves earning a degree,” said Matthew H. Roy, Ph.D. Assistant Vice Chancellor for Civic Engagement at UMass Dartmouth.
The gift will also fund the College and Career Summit, where 8th graders return to UMass Dartmouth for a summit featuring keynote speakers, university officials, and UMassD students. The 8th-grade youth summit is designed to reinforce the messages delivered during the 7th-grade tours and further immerse students in college life.