NEWS & EVENTS: Announcements
The Board of Directors of the Mitchell Institute is pleased to announce the new class of Mitchell Scholars. Each year, one graduating senior from every Maine public high school is chosen to receive a Mitchell Scholarship. The scholarships, which are typically $5,000 each, are awarded on the basis of academic potential, community service, and financial need. Recipients must be residents of Maine who will be entering their first year of a two- or four-year accredited college or university. As of this year, the Mitchell Institute has provided more than $7 million of financial assistance to 1,650 Maine students. A list of the Class of 2009 scholarship recipients is available HERE.
Earlier this year the Mitchell Institute surveyed Maine high schools to learn about dual credit early college policies and participation, and we recently released a summary of the survey results. We found that 96% of Maine high schools allow students to take college courses for both high school and college credit ("dual credit"). This proportion has markedly increased from 73% (77 schools) in 2006. Respondents estimate that their students will take a total of 1,985 dual credit courses in 2008-2009. These figures indicate that dual credit participation has decreased only slightly, despite the fact that a major grant for early college from the National Governors Association ended over a year ago. Most importantly, we know from our research that high school students (particularly those who are underperforming) who take dual credit courses are significantly more likely than their peers to go on to college. The combined efforts of Maine high schools, colleges, the DOE, and the Legislature have succeeded in making early college opportunities available to a significant number of high school students across Maine. The survey results also suggest that the National Governors Association grant, which the Mitchell Institute administered, met its goal of establishing a number of self-sustaining early college partnerships.
The Spring 2009 edition of the Mitchell Institute Newsletter was sent via e-mail to Scholars, donors and other supporters last week. If you did not receive a copy and would like to be included in our e-mail list, please click on the link above to subscribe. In the meantime, you can check it out by CLICKING HERE.
Due to overwhelming requests from Mitchell Scholars and Alumni, we have created a Facebook group for the Mitchell Institute! You can find it by searching groups on Facebook (it's officially called "Mitchell Institute Scholars and Alumni"), or CLICK HERE. It is a private group, so you will need to request membership, then we will verify that you are actually a Mitchell Scholar or Alumni. We will be regularly posting information about upcoming events, opportunities, and other things that might be of interest to you. Additionally, we hope that Scholars and Alumni will use the group as a place to post questions that other Scholars or our staff might be able to assist you in answering. We want you to be able to network with each other this way! We're also betting that you'll discover that you know many of your fellow Scholars.
2008 Mitchell Scholar (and Steven B. Center Diversity Leadership Scholar) Bosco Oringa was featured on October 22, 2008 in a front-page article in the Portland Press Herald. Bosco is making quite a name for himself on the cross-country team at University of New England, where he is a pre-med student. His story, however, is far more than one of a great athlete. Bosco emigrated to the United States after fleeing his home country of Sudan and having lived for years in a refugee camp in Uganda. He came to the United States in 2005. For more about Bosco's journey, CLICK HERE.
The Spring 2008 edition of the Mitchell Institute Newsletter was sent via e-mail to Scholars, donors and other supporters earlier this week. If you did not receive a copy and would like to be included in our e-mail list, please click on the link above to subscribe. In the meantime, you can check it out by CLICKING HERE.
The Board of Directors of the Mitchell Institute is pleased to announce the new class of Mitchell Scholars. Each year, one graduating senior from every Maine public high school is chosen to receive a Mitchell Scholarship. The scholarships, which average $5,000 each, are awarded on the basis of academic potential, community service, and financial need. Recipients must be residents of Maine who will be entering their first year of a two- or four-year accredited college or university. As of this year, the Mitchell Institute has provided more than $6 million of financial assistance to more than 1,500 Maine students. A list of the Class of 2008 scholarship recipients is available HERE.
At its November 2007 meeting, the Mitchell Institute�s Board of Directors elected three new members to its ranks. They are Richard Lucas of Portland, Maine; Joseph Foley of Portland, Maine; and Raynold A. Gauvin of Mapleton, Maine.
Richard Lucas is president of KeyBank�s Maine district, the state�s second largest commercial bank, with assets of approximately $1.5 billion and deposits of $2.5 billion, headquartered in Portland. A native Mainer and an active member of the community, Lucas is 1st vice chair of the Maine Bankers Association board and serves on the board of the Greater Portland Boys and Girls Club, the Mitchell Institute board and the Maine State Chamber board. He was also recently elected to the finance committee for Maine Medical Center.
Ray Gauvin is a longtime, successful businessman with strong roots in Aroostook County. He is owner and president of Advantage Payroll Services. Mr. Gauvin has been actively involved in many community organizations and service clubs and has served on the boards of many of them. He just completed a ten-year term on the board of Northern Maine Community College Foundation, where he successfully led a major gifts campaign that exceeded its goal of $2 million. These efforts resulted in increased scholarship monies for students, and also helped to create new initiatives and enhance facilities for existing ones.
Joe Foley is senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Unum Group. In this capacity, he is responsible for all corporate marketing and communications. He also oversees the company�s reinsurance operations and serves as the managing director of Duncanson & Holt Syndicate Management, Duncanson & Holt Europe, and Duncanson & Holt Underwriters Ltd. In addition to his corporate responsibilities, he is chairman of the Maine Compact for Higher Education and is a member of the board of directors for Mercy Hospital, the Cancer Community Center and the Council for Disability Awareness. He is a past director of the Greater Portland United Way and the Board Network.
Senator George Mitchell, along with the Board and staff, is pleased to have these accomplished men serve as directors for the Mitchell Institute.
A new report issued today by the Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Research Institute shows convincing evidence that investing in early college opportunities for high school students pays great dividends. Most notably, students who face barriers to higher education but take a college class while still in high school go on to college at rates of 80%, compared with 60% of their peers. To read the press release, please CLICK HERE. To read the summary of the report or the report in its entirety, please CLICK HERE. For additional information, please contact Lisa Plimpton, the Mitchell Institute's research director.
The Mitchell Institute Alumni Council will hold its Second Annual MILE II: Personal & Professional Development Day, on Saturday, February 16, 2008. Unum is hosting and supporting the event. The day-long conference will bring Maine business and community leaders together with many of the current recipients of the Mitchell Scholarship, as well as alumni of the program, to gain knowledge about establishing a professional life in the state of Maine, concrete tools for shaping life decisions, information about Maine industries, and awareness of non-traditional professional choices. The Mitchell Institute Alumni Council, comprised primarily of recent college graduates who have chosen to pursue careers in Maine, is planning and organizing this event. Mitchell Scholars and Alumni who are interested in attending should contact Kate Leach Bathras.
Charity Navigator, America's premier charity evaluator, has awarded the Mitchell Institute their coveted four-star rating for sound fiscal management. At present, the Mitchell Institute is one of only twelve charities in the state of Maine to have earned the designation of "exceptional" from the organization. To see Charity Navigator's evaluation of the Mitchell Institute, please CLICK HERE.
The Mitchell Institute will hold a press conference on Wednesday, July 18, 2007, at 11:00 a.m. at the Bank of America Board Room, 100 Middle St, West Wing, 2nd Floor, in Portland to release the results of a year-long study, From High School to College: Removing Barriers for Maine Students. This report, funded by the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and Bank of America and known as Barriers II, explores the growing gap between college intentions and enrollment. In 2002, the Mitchell Institute's Barriers I report addressed the gap between Maine's strong high school completion rate and its below average college-going rate, but since then, while intent to enroll in college among Maine high school graduates has steadily increased, actual college enrollment has not. For more information, please CLICK HERE.
The Board of Directors of the Mitchell Institute is pleased to announce the new class of Mitchell Scholars. Each year, one hundred thirty graduating seniors -- one from every Maine public high school -- are chosen to receive Mitchell Scholarships. Scholarships averaging $5,000 - $6,000 each are awarded on the basis of academic potential, community service, and financial need. Recipients must be residents of Maine who will be entering their first year of a two- or four-year accredited college or university. A list of the Class of 2007 scholarship recipients is available HERE.
The Mitchell Institute Alumni Council held its First Annual MILE II: Personal & Professional Development Day, on Saturday, February 17, 2007. Unum hosted and supported the event. The day-long conference brought Maine business and community leaders together with many of the current recipients of the Mitchell Scholarship, as well as alumni of the program, to gain knowledge about establishing a professional life in the state of Maine, concrete tools for shaping life decisions, information about Maine industries, and awareness of non-traditional professional choices. The Mitchell Institute Alumni Council, comprised primarily of recent college graduates who have chosen to pursue careers in Maine, planned and organized this event. For more information about MILE II, please CLICK HERE.
The Board of Directors of the Mitchell Institute is pleased to announce that the application for the 2007 Mitchell Scholarships is now available by clicking on the download button above. Each year, one hundred thirty graduating seniors -- one from every Maine public high school -- are chosen to receive Mitchell Scholarships. As of 2006, annual scholarships averaging $5,000 each are awarded on the basis of academic potential, community service, and financial need. Recipients must be residents of Maine who will be entering their first year of a two- or four-year accredited college or university. A list of the Class of 2006 scholarship recipients is available HERE.
On Monday evening, December 18th at 8:00 p.m., WGME (Channel 13 in Portland) is airing an hour-long feature aimed at encouraging more Maine students to go on to college. The program - U-Ready - focuses in large part on Senator George Mitchell and the Mitchell Institute, and features several Mitchell Scholars. The first one-half hour of the program presents substantial comments by and an interview with Senator Mitchell, highlighting his commitment to post-secondary education for Maine students, and also profiles two of our Mitchell Scholars. The show will be re-broadcast on Monday, December 25th at 5:00 p.m., in lieu of the early news hour. This program coincides with the work of the Mitchell Institute on the Maine Readiness Campaign. For more information about the program, please CLICK HERE.
This past week, the Mitchell Institute and Pan Atlantic SMS Group began a statewide survey of Maine parents, high school students, young adults and educators as part of a major study of barriers to college. In early 2006, the Mitchell Institute received grants from the Nellie Mae Education Foundation and Bank of America to conduct a second Barriers study focusing on the growing gap between college intentions and actual college enrollment among Maine high school graduates. To read the full text of the press release, please CLICK HERE.
Senator George J. Mitchell and the Directors, Scholars and Staff of the Mitchell Institute wish you and your family peace and joy for the coming year.
In the spirit of the season, you may wish to know that the Mitchell Institute gratefully accepts donations to honor or memorialize your loved ones. We can also send an immediate e-mail notification of your gift to whomever you wish. If you would like to make a holiday gift over the Web by Visa, Mastercard or American Express using our secure server, please CLICK HERE.
The Fall 2006 edition of the Mitchell Institute News was mailed earlier this month to Scholars, donors and other supporters. If you did not receive a copy and would like to be included in our mailing list, please click on the link above to subscribe. In the meantime, you can check it out online by CLICKING HERE.
Nearly 500 statewide business, community and government leaders gathered on October 13th at the Marriott Hotel in South Portland to celebrate the Mitchell Institute and its twelve years of scholarship achievement at the Sixth Annual Mitchell Institute Fall Gala. The event, which featured keynote addresses by Senator George J. Mitchell and the Honorable Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland, recognized inportant contributors and honored Mitchell Scholars. For more information about the event, CLICK HERE.
In keeping with the Mitchell Institute's dedication to community service, the Alumni Council organized a volunteer opportunity at the end of August with the Read with ME Program. Sponsored by Verizon, the program aims to improve literacy and reading skills among Maine's students. On August 29, 2006, several Alumni and current Mitchell Scholars volunteered to pack this year's selected book, Schoolyard Rhymes, and other literacy information to send to every kindergartener in the state. Alumni also read the selected book to all kindergarteners at Reiche Elementary in Portland on September 19. On October 3, they read One Smart Goose to kindergarteners at the Abraham Lincoln School in Bangor with First Lady Karen Baldacci and to those at the Whitefield Elementary School as well.
The Board of Directors of the Mitchell Institute is pleased to announce the new class of Mitchell Scholars. Each year, one hundred thirty graduating seniors -- one from every Maine public high school -- are chosen to receive Mitchell Scholarships. As of this year, annual scholarships averaging $5,000 each are awarded on the basis of academic potential, community service, and financial need. Recipients must be residents of Maine who will be entering their first year of a two- or four-year accredited college or university. A list of the Class of 2006 scholarship recipients is available HERE.