Middlesex Community College: MCC Receives Grant Funding For STEM Internship Opportunities

Press release from the Middlesex Community College:

Caitlin Buckley

3/11/2021

The Boston Foundation announced that Middlesex Community College is one of four Massachusetts community colleges to share $426,656 in grants to invest in expanding and strengthening the state’s internship offerings for students in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields – part of overall efforts to broaden the availability of paid internships to community college student statewide.

Middlesex will receive $112,966 to implement the Northeast Regional Internship program to level the playing field for underserved students. MCC’s funds will help develop new work-based learning opportunities for students who are in – and considering – STEM, according to Rebecca Newell, MCC’s Associate Dean of Student Affairs.

“We have been given the gift of time to dig deep into research with our industry partners in order to best design an intentional program that will open pathways for our underserved students,” Newell said. “We aim to work closely with employers and our colleagues at neighboring community colleges to support the growth of an inclusive culture of experiential learning and build upon a diverse talent pipeline for the Northeast region.”

Funds will allow for the hiring of a program coordinator to oversee the program research and design. Working with the Career Development team to provide career supports for students, the coordinator will help cultivate new industry partnerships, conduct an examination of regional STEM employers to better understand their needs and expectations, and make intentional efforts to set the stage for an expansion of the program to other nearby community colleges.

MCC joins Bunker Hill, Massasoit and North Shore community colleges as recipients of the grant funding. Each college has developed plans intended to expand their internship opportunities for STEM and increase the number of local connections to businesses.

Research released by the Boston Foundation in 2019 showed that a large majority of paid internships in the state were awarded to four-year college students, limiting opportunities for community college students to get necessary career experience and income to support themselves during their studies.

“While these programs take different approaches, they highlight a number of critical elements: they recognize the importance of paid internships, the need for adequate staff and student supports, the necessity of true employer partnerships, and an intentional focus on equity,” said Paul Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation. “We look forward to working with each of these programs as we charter an effort to build a stronger network of equitable, accessible internship programs across the system.”

The Boston Foundation’s 2019 report “Uncovering Hidden Talent: Community College Internships that Pay and Pay Off for Students and Employers” explored the state of paid internship opportunities in Massachusetts and offered a number of examples of alternative programs in other states. These grants were made possible by Success Boston, in partnership with Boston Foundation donors with an interest in education.

For more information about MCC’s STEM work-based learning opportunities, contact Newell at newellr@middlesex.mass.edu or call 978-656-3363. Contact Ted McEnroe at ted.mcenroe@tbf.org or call 617-338-3890 for more information on specific programs in this cohort of colleges.

The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, seeks to bring the collective power of our region’s people and resources together to drive real change. Established in 1915, it is one of the largest community foundations in the nation—with net assets of $1.3 billion. In 2020, the Foundation and its donors paid $215 million in grants to nonprofit organizations. The Foundation has many partners, including its donors, who have established more than 1,000 separate charitable funds for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. With support from the Annual Campaign for Civic Leadership, the Foundation also facilitates public discourse and action, commissions research into the most critical issues of our time and advocates for public policy that advances opportunity for everyone. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), a consulting unit of the Foundation, designs and implements customized philanthropic strategies for families, foundations and corporations around the globe. To learn more about the Foundation and its work, visit TBF.org.

Discover your path at Middlesex Community College. As one of the largest, most comprehensive community colleges in Massachusetts, MCC has been a proven leader in online education for more than 20 years. We educate, engage and empower a diverse community of learners, offering more than 80 degree and certificate programs – plus hundreds of noncredit courses. Middlesex Community College: Student success starts here!

This press release was produced by the Middlesex Community College. The views expressed here are the author’s own.