Courtesy / JMG
Craig Larrabee
Updated: October 10, 2023
$10M grant will help nonprofit bridge school-career gap for all Maine public college students
JMG, an Augusta nonprofit that helps Maine students earn college degrees and pursue careers, has received a $10.4 million grant that will allow the organization to expands its program to all of the state's public colleges.
The grant, which JMG said is the largest private investment in its history, comes from the Harold Alfond Foundation in Portland. JMG — the initials stand for its former name, Jobs for Maine's Graduates — will work in partnership with the University of Maine System and the Maine Community College System, which together comprise 14 universities and colleges.
The grant will also strengthen JMG’s high school bridging, which provides credentials through extended learning opportunities, and will advance a new research initiative with the University of Maine to improve student retention.
“The social, emotional and financial barriers facing today’s young people are numerous and increasingly complex, threatening to derail even the most resilient students,” said the foundation’s chair, Gregory Powell. “The JMG college success program ensures that young students have the support they need to prepare for, enroll in, and ultimately succeed at college and in the workplace.”
Founded in 1993, JMG is the largest statewide education nonprofit in Maine, serving more than 12,000 students annually. Partnering with public education and private businesses, JMG provides support to students from middle school through high school and on to post-secondary education and career pathways. The help includes individual academic, social and financial assistance.
“This support from the Harold Alfond Foundation will significantly amplify the reach and impact of JMG’s college success program,” said JMG President and CEO Craig Larrabee. “We are creating more on-ramps to pathways for students to reach their fullest potential and strengthening our model to ensure equity of opportunity for all students.”
He continued, “Our goal is to advance the economic mobility of Maine’s most vulnerable and economically disadvantaged students to make positive, life-changing, and enduring contributions."
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