Brewer schools will soon have a new resource to help students of all ages explore career possibilities and create a roadmap to attain their goals.
The Brewer School Department will launch a five-year, $1.2 million grant program on Monday that aims to encourage students to pursue higher education or job training after high school, according to Gregg Palmer, Brewer school superintendent. The Aspire grant from the Maine-based MELMAC Education Foundation is a partnership with Jobs for Maine Graduates.
The program helps schools and teachers collaborate with local businesses and organizations so students can learn more about various careers in their region and determine what best fits their interests and skills.
The Aspire grant will be the latest tool Brewer schools have to keep students engaged and focused on their future. The department has offered several new programs in recent years that target students who may struggle in a traditional classroom setting or are chronically absent or disengaged, traits that became more common during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2023, Brewer High School launched a six-week summer Forestry Immersion Program through which students learned how to use logging equipment and earn class credits through hands-on experience.
The department also developed the Nu Program in 2021, which allows middle and high school students who came to prefer remote learning during the pandemic to keep taking some of their classes online.
Brewer is the latest school department to receive the Aspire grant. Previous awardees include the Gorham School Department in 2018, Bucksport-based RSU 25 in 2020 and RSU 54, which serves the Skowhegan region, in 2022.
In other departments that previously received the Aspire grant, such as RSU 25, students mapped out what education or training they need to secure the career they want and found schools that provided the necessary education, according to the school department’s website. If students needed financial assistance, the Aspire program helped them find appropriate scholarships.
Brewer School officials, alongside city leaders, students and their families, will announce the award at 5 p.m. Monday at Brewer High School, according to Palmer.
