Salem Community College and the Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional School District are partnering to begin preparing middle school students for college success.

The program is made possible by a New Jersey GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) federal grant administered by the Office of the Secretary of Higher Education.

Twenty eight students entering grades 7 to 9 this fall participated in a summer enrichment program on SCC’s campus. The students were awarded certificates of achievement upon completing the month-long program on August 11.

Students participated in activities such as a Revolutionary War encampment with Pennsville resident Tony Melita, visits to Rowan University and Stockton University, and a Career Awareness Day with SCC Director of Nursing and Allied Health Programs Charles McGlade and SCC Director of Workforce Development and Continuing Education Mary Ellen Hassler. SCC extends its appreciation to Rowan, Stockton and the YMCA of Salem County (free weekly swim time) for supporting the GEAR UP program.

For more stories about Salem, scroll down:

Grant Allows Salem Students To Receive Free College Credits
Ranch Hope Students Learn First-Hand About Careers In Glass

Beginning this fall, the New Jersey GEAR UP program will include after-school and Saturday tutoring, mentoring, financial aid/Educational Opportunity Fund information and more college visits.

The total federal/state funding for the Penns Grove-Carneys Point Regional District project is $100,000 with a 35 percent in-kind match (Division H, Title V, Section 505 of Public Law 113-76, Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2014).

Grant Allows Salem Students To Receive Free College Credits

Forman S. Acton Educational Foundation grant to Salem Community College helps Salem students get a head start on higher education.

Dramatically more Salem High School students have now received free college credit thanks to a new grant partnership between the Forman S. Acton Educational Foundation and Salem Community College.

SHS students have long been able to get dual credit for completing high school advanced placement courses, meaning they would get credit toward both their high school diploma and college degree. However, few students have taken advantage in the past.

To boost enrollment, the Acton Foundation provided a $36,800 grant that pays for the credits, allowing 91 Salem students to earn credits for courses they completed in the past year—at no cost to them or their families.

Because some students will receive credits for multiple courses and some year-long Salem High School courses are eligible for 8 credits from Salem Community College, the grant effectively pays for 736 credits that are accepted at SCC, all New Jersey colleges and universities, and many colleges and universities outside the state.

“This partnership presents an unprecedented opportunity for us to serve students who are high-achieving but may be economically disadvantaged, giving them a better chance to succeed in high school and beyond,” said SCC President Michael R. Gorman.

Research shows that dual enrollment programs like this can improve academic opportunities for students, especially those first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds. Research suggests that participation in these programs can lead to better grades in high school, increased enrollment in college following high school, higher rates of persistence in college, and increased rates of attaining additional credentials.

“By eliminating the financial barriers to these great programs, we’re making sure that the future of Salem’s youth is determined by their own talent and grit, not just how much money they have,” said Kathryn Markovchick, president of the Acton Foundation.

The Acton Foundation will continue to evaluate how the dual credit program impacts and improves students’ future academic achievements.

The second annual Art and Glass Week enabled 11 boys in grades 9-12 at Ranch Hope to learn first-hand about careers working with glass. Sponsored by the Robert M. Minkoff Foundation, the program was held at Salem Community College’s Samuel H. Jones Glass Education Center, in partnership with the SCC Foundation and Ranch Hope. Here, students gather around a final project with (from left) Kim Bracciante, principal of Ranch Hope’s Strang School; SCC distinguished alumnus and internationally recognized glass artist Paul Stankard; and benefactor Robert Minkoff.

Ranch Hope Students Learn First-Hand About Careers In Glass

The second annual Art and Glass Week enabled 11 boys in grades 9-12 at Ranch Hope to learn first-hand about careers working with glass.

Sponsored by the Robert M. Minkoff Foundation, the program was held at Salem Community College’s Samuel H. Jones Glass Education Center, August 15-19, in partnership with the SCC Foundation and Ranch Hope.

“The week was an amazing experience for our youth,” said Kim Bracciante, principal of Ranch Hope’s Strang School. “This was an opportunity to work with their hands, challenge their creativity and try something that they might not otherwise been able to experience.

“Students learned that there is more to an education than just textbooks and it opened their eyes to possible careers that they may not have realized existed,” Bracciante continued. “This will also help them to realize why it is important to do their best in school now.”

The students received encouraging words from Robert Minkoff on the final day: “Education is the most important thing in the world to have to make something of yourself.”

Students were taught by SCC artist-in-residence Paul Stankard, SCC Scientific Glass Instructional Chair Dennis Briening and Glass Center Coordinator Doug Ohm.

“I have been active in glass for an adult life time and feel blessed that I can share my experience with young people at Salem Community College’s Glass Center,” said Stankard, an internationally recognized glass artist. “The Ranch Hope students touch my heart because they come from a disadvantaged home life. It is important that they understand how noble it is to master a craft with their hands that will allow them to reach their full potential in life.”

The week culminated with the students producing several cast-glass sculptures. First, students designed a composition to fit within a 3” x 3” framework, utilizing the artwork previously made in the flame shop. They placed their flame-worked objects onto the background color of their choice and used a heating torch to warm the glass to prepare it for the casting process.

The final project concluded with instructors and SCC students gathering glass at 2250 degrees from the furnace and pouring it into the molds, encasing the flameworked composition in clear glass. In an instant, all of the creations were “frozen” in the cast glass and the objects were transferred to a cooling oven to slowly bring them to room temperature.

Ranch Hope students then concluded their week of firsts by creating a large, cast-glass tile with their flameworked objects that will become a commemorative plaque at the Ranch Hope campus.

Since 1964, Ranch Hope has provided residential behavioral healthcare services to adolescent boys at its Alloway Campus in rural Salem County. The Alloway Campus provides 57 boys between the ages of 13-17, treatment and care in a family environment. For more information about Ranch Hope, visit www.ranchhope.org.