BATH

The Chewonki Foundation in Wiscassett has received a $600,000 grant from the Lerner Foundation to be put toward the Aspiration Incubators Program, and will partner with RSU 1 to provide mentors for middle school students throughout the district.

Money will be allocated over the next six years for use in schools such as Bath Middle School and Woolwich Middle School, and in Morse High School as the students progress.

“It’s a program to continue the aspirations of middle school students and follow them through high school,” said RSU 1 Superintendent Patrick Manuel. “The community partner that was chosen was Chewonki, which is great for us because we already have a great relationship with them. It’s going to be a very exciting partnership.”

Chewonki will select groups of between 15-20 students to enroll in the mentoring program during their eighth grade year, and provide mentors to work with them through high school. According to the Lerner Foundation’s AIP Program summary, the goal of the program is to lead as many students as possible to higher education, especially in the more rural areas of Maine, while fostering the idea that students with mentors perform better in school and have a more positive outlook on life.

“This six-year commitment is designed to leverage mentoring and community engagement as a tool to support middle school students through their high school career,” said Keith Crowley, Chewonki associate director of school programs. “I’m very eager for Chewonki to continue to deepen its relationship with RSU 1.”

bgoodridge@timesrecord.com