THE MITCHELL INSTITUTE

NEWS & EVENTS: Announcements

- Posted: 11.10.11
Many thanks to our supporters for the most successful Fall Gala yet! Over 400 people attended, including 60 Mitchell Scholars and Alumni. Speakers included Mitchell Scholars Kim Dao, Hannah DeAngelis and Jason Long, Senator George Mitchell and U.S. Representative Chellie Pingree. Visit the Mitchell Institute Events page for photos and video.

- Posted: 10.20.11
The Mitchell Institute authors the Compact's annual report on indicators of higher educational attainment in Maine. In the 2011 report, we find positive progress since 2000 on nine of fourteen indicators, including measures of young people's preparation for college, state support for higher education, and benefits of higher education. College affordability in Maine, however, is moving in the wrong direction, and postsecondary enrollments among Maine adults are low. The bottom line: Maine is making progress, but momentum needs to pick up speed if we are to meet the Compact's goal of exceeding the New England average of adults with college degrees by 2020. Download a PDF version of the 32-page report by clicking here.

- Posted: 10.13.11
The Mitchell Institute has begun a search for a new Executive Director. We seek an individual of exceptional talent, energy and drive to lead the organization to the next level, including a determined focus to raise the funds needed to dramatically increase the scholarship endowment and the amount of the scholarships. Additional information about the organization and the position is available in this PDF document. A cover letter and resume should be submitted by November 18, 2011 to Colleen Quint, executive director of the Mitchell Institute at cquint@mitchellinstitute.org.

- Updated: 7.6.11
Recently we sent out the first round of Fellowship checks to the spring round of recipients! With the support of a generous donation from the J.A. & E.S. Hughes Fund at the Maine Community Foundation, we were thrilled to award just over $28,000 in this initial administration to 35 Scholars and Alums. Click here to learn about the plethora of opportunities Mitchell Fellows are pursuing.

- Posted: 6.24.11
The Mitchell Institute has just published its Annual Report for 2010. To read about our progress and impact--along with profiles of some of our wonderful Mitchell Scholars, Alumni, and supporters--click here.

- Posted: 6.6.11
Senator George J. Mitchell was in Maine today to announce the selection of this year's Mitchell Scholars--and to share news of an increase to the scholarships from $5,000 to $6,000 per student. "It is especially exciting to announce that the Board of Directors of the Institute recently approved an increase in the value of the scholarships we award. Beginning with the students just selected, the Mitchell Scholarships will be $6,000. We know that college costs are rising even as family resources are diminishing. This decision to increase the scholarship signals our commitment to Maine's students, and to the future of this great state," said Senator Mitchell. One hundred twenty-nine (129) Maine high school students have been chosen as the 2011 Mitchell Scholars--one from every public high school in the state. Click here for the news release, including a list of the 2011 Scholars.

- Posted: 3.23.11
Many thanks to the Mitchell Institute Alumni Council for planning and to UNUM for hosting and sponsoring a successful 2011 "MILE II"! To see photos, find us on Facebook.

- Posted: 2.14.11
We have just received an exciting and generous commitment of $140,000 to support Mitchell Scholar and Alumni internships and career and personal development opportunities. The grant, which will be expended over a four-year period, will provide financial support to enable Mitchell Scholars and Alums to pursue career-related summer internship opportunities, volunteer projects and even help with professional licensing fees. Formerly known as COSA (Career Opportunity Summer Awards) and ACAP (Alumni Council Awards Programs) these programs will be combined and re-named the Mitchell Fellows Program to reflect a somewhat broader mission. Our thanks to The J.A. & E.S. Hughes Fund at the Maine Community Foundation for this extraordinary grant! Application forms will be sent to Scholars and Alums by the end of February.

- Posted: 11.23.10
The Fall 2010 version of the Mitchell Institute News is now available online! Find out what our Mitchell Scholars and Alumni are doing! See pictures from the 2010 Fall Gala! Learn about the new direction of the Career and Personal Support Programs! CLICK HERE to view the newsletter!

- Posted: 8.19.10
On Sunday, August 15, 2010, Senator George Mitchell hosted a brunch for the 2010 class of Mitchell Scholars and their families at the Wells Conference Center at the University of Maine in Orono. The brunch was sponsored this year by Hampden Home Builders. Senator Mitchell was the keynote speaker for the event, having taken time away from his busy schedule as Special Envoy to the Middle East. For more information about the brunch, please CLICK HERE.

- Posted: 06.18.10 The Mitchell Institute has just published its 2009-2010 Annual Report online. To find out about the Mitchell Institute's progress and impact, and to read about some of our Mitchell Scholars and Alumni, please CLICK HERE!

- Posted: 6.18.10
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 almost $8 million of financial assistance to nearly 1,800 Maine students. A list of the Class of 2010 scholarship recipients is available HERE.

- Posted: 06.18.10
In the past week, the Mitchell Institute lost one of its staunchest supporters and longest-standing board members, Shep Lee. Shep served on the board of directors for the Mitchell Scholarship Program from its inception in 1995, through its expansion into the Mitchell Institute in 1999, and until his passing on June 23rd. A successful entrepreneur known for his integrity and commitment to the community, Shep led his family business, Lee Auto Malls, from a single location car dealership to nine dealerships across the state of Maine. A graduate of Bowdoin College, he understood the importance of education and was a philanthropic voice for that cause as well as many others. His gentle presence, quick wit, and kindness will be greatly missed. He had a special place in the hearts of everyone at the Mitchell Institute and was a long-time and dear friend to Senator Mitchell. On behalf of Senator Mitchell, the Mitchell Institute Board and staff, and the nearly 1,800 Mitchell Scholars, we express our gratitude to Shep for his service and to his family for their continued support.

- Posted: 06.04.09
Charity Navigator, America's premier charity evaluator, has awarded the Mitchell Institute their coveted four-star rating for sound fiscal management for the third year in a row. At present, the Mitchell Institute is one of only fifteen 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.

- Posted: 06.12.09
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.

- Posted: 06.12.09
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.

- Posted: 03.18.09
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.

- Posted: 09.25.08
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.

- Posted: 10.27.08
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.

- Posted: 03.10.08
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.

- Posted: 06.05.08
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.

- Posted: 01.17.08
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.

- Posted: 01.15.08
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.

- Posted: 10.04.07
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.

- Posted: 07.13.07
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.

- Posted: 06.15.07
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.

- Posted: 03.19.07
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.

- Posted: 01.01.07
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.

- Posted: 12.14.06
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.