School departments in Portland and Sanford will benefit from grants totaling more than $9 million over three years from the Nellie Mae Educational Foundation.

In Portland, a $5.1 million grant will go to the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates program, which will use the money to support a partnership between the city’s public schools, other city agencies and several community organizations, including LearningWorks.

The goal is to create “student-centered pathways” that leads to continued education, careers and productive lives for students who face barriers in traditional education systems.

The initiative includes community engagement through Portland’s Social Services Division for Refugee Services, which will, in turn, work with local groups, such as the NAACP and United Way to support the effort. The city agency is receiving a $130,000 grant for its part in the program.

In Sanford, the city’s school department will receive $3.1 million to remodel its system using approaches that help engage students more fully. The Safe and Healthy Sanford Coalition will receive a $130,000 grant to help with that effort.

The Nellie Mae Foundation is the largest charitable organization in New England focusing exclusively on education.