This is good news! Mary *Mary Sinclair* Student Services Coordinator, Upward Bound <http://www2.umf.maine.edu/upwardbound/> University of Maine at Farmington 252 Main Street, Farmington, ME 04938 207.778.7429 (w) 207.712.2930 (c) Toll Free: 1.888.237.1667 pronouns: she/her On Fri, Dec 3, 2021 at 1:14 PM Debbie Gilmer <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Feel free to share it widely! Thanks, colleagues! > > Debbie Gilmer | President > Syntiro > 11 South Road Readfield, ME 04355 > Cell phone: (207) 852-0992 > Office: (207) 685-3171 > www.syntiro.org > [log in to unmask] > > *"What we do matters. Really, deeply matters. But how we do it matters > even more." Dave Hingsburger* > > > On Fri, Dec 3, 2021 at 12:56 PM Sam Prosser <[log in to unmask]> > wrote: > >> Debbie, >> I am so glad to see this getting some public air time! If there is any >> other group you'd like this email forwarded to, please let me know! I'm >> wondering if COE has been looped in at all? >> Best of luck! >> Sam >> >> On Fri, Dec 3, 2021 at 12:34 PM Debbie Gilmer <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >>> We are very pleased with Maine's delegation today! We are being >>> interviewed by MPR in a few minutes. Happy Friday! >>> >>> Debbie Gilmer | President >>> Syntiro >>> 11 South Road Readfield, ME 04355 >>> Cell phone: (207) 852-0992 >>> Office: (207) 685-3171 >>> www.syntiro.org >>> [log in to unmask] >>> >>> *"What we do matters. Really, deeply matters. But how we do it matters >>> even more." Dave Hingsburger* >>> >>> >>> ---------- Forwarded message --------- >>> From: Rep. Golden Press <[log in to unmask]> >>> Date: Fri, Dec 3, 2021 at 9:55 AM >>> Subject: GEAR UP MAINE: Maine Delegation Challenges Department of >>> Education Decision to Deny Funding to UMaine Farmington College Prep Program >>> To: Zeller, Nick <[log in to unmask]> >>> Cc: Clark, Annie (Collins) <[log in to unmask]>, Felling, >>> Matthew (King) <[log in to unmask]>, Bonney, Victoria < >>> [log in to unmask]> >>> >>> >>> [image: [log in to unmask]][image: >>> [log in to unmask]] >>> >>> >>> >>> *FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE* >>> >>> December 3, 2021 >>> >>> >>> >>> *MEDIA CONTACT* >>> >>> *Annie Clark <[log in to unmask]>* (Collins) | (202) >>> 224-2523 >>> >>> *Matthew Felling <[log in to unmask]>* (King) | (202) >>> 257-7345 >>> >>> *Victoria Bonney <[log in to unmask]>* (Pingree) | (207) >>> 774-5019 >>> >>> *Nick Zeller <[log in to unmask]>* (Golden) | (202) 225-6306 >>> >>> >>> >>> *Maine Delegation Challenges Department of Education Decision to Deny >>> Funding to UMaine Farmington College Prep Program* >>> >>> >>> >>> *In rejecting GEAR UP Maine’s application for the first time in 22 >>> years, Education Department may have violated the law* >>> >>> >>> >>> *GEAR UP Maine has served more than 29,000 low-income Maine students but >>> now lacks funding to continue* >>> >>> >>> >>> WASHINGTON — Maine’s congressional delegation today challenged the U.S. >>> Department of Education’s decision to reject the University of Maine >>> Farmington’s application for a renewed Gaining Early Awareness and >>> Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) grant. GEAR UP Maine, run by >>> UMaine Farmington and Syntiro, has helped prepare Maine students for >>> college since 1999, including 29,000 students served since 2007. This >>> decision leaves GEAR UP Maine with no further funding to continue its >>> program. >>> >>> >>> >>> As part of their letter, Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Senator Angus >>> King (I-ME), Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01), and Congressman Jared >>> Golden (ME-02) highlighted a legal requirement to prioritize GEAR UP Maine >>> as an established state program. The Department of Education appears to >>> have violated statutory requirements in awarding funding to a >>> non-established state program. >>> >>> >>> >>> *“We are writing to express our concern about the Department of >>> Education’s rejection of the University of Maine at Farmington’s (UMF) >>> fiscal year 2021 application for funding for its Gaining Early Awareness >>> and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) state program, leaving >>> Maine as one of seven states with no further GEAR UP funding moving >>> forward,”* wrote the members of Congress.* “Specifically, we are >>> troubled by indications that, in its award decisions, the Department >>> appeared to depart from its statutory requirements. While it is the >>> Department’s job to decide which program applications to fund, the >>> Department must do so in the manner required by law.”* >>> >>> >>> >>> The Department of Education has not provided a justification for why it >>> didn’t prioritize GEAR UP Maine over a non-established state program, or >>> why the Department awarded less than 40 percent of the state awards and >>> award funding it had estimated for this year. Next year would be the first >>> year since the program’s founding in 1999 that it could not serve more >>> Maine students. >>> >>> >>> >>> GEAR UP Maine has prepared economically disadvantaged students in Maine >>> for college by providing tutoring, mentoring, academic and career >>> counseling, and exposure to college campuses. Many of the participants of >>> the program go on to earn college scholarships. The program’s seven-year >>> grants allowed it to follow cohorts of seventh graders through the first >>> year of their post-secondary experience. >>> >>> >>> >>> *“As part of our commitment to supporting the success of all students >>> —especially those who are from rural communities, the first in their >>> families to pursue postsecondary education or otherwise historically >>> underserved—the University of Maine at Farmington has been proud to partner >>> in the delivery of the GEAR UP program since 1999. In that time, GEAR UP >>> has transformed the futures of thousands of Maine students by raising their >>> aspirations and preparing them to affordably attend and complete college,”* >>> said UMaine Farmington President Edward Serna. *“On behalf of the 6,500 >>> students GEAR UP planned to serve over the next seven years in some of the >>> state’s most economically disadvantaged districts, we thank Senators >>> Collins and King and Representatives Pingree and Golden for their >>> leadership in inquiring about the apparent inconsistencies in the U.S. >>> Department of Education's process and ensuring we have a fair shot at >>> helping more of Maine’s young people reach their full potential through >>> this proven program.”* >>> >>> >>> >>> *“When I think of the many benefits that Woodland Junior and Senior High >>> School students have received because of GEAR UP, I tear up because as the >>> guidance counselor for grades preK-12 (over 350 students), I cannot do it >>> all and GEAR UP helped to fill those holes,” *said Baileyville Schools >>> Guidance Counselor Janice E. Rice.* “The thought of not having GEAR UP >>> saddens me as we are one school that embraced all that GEAR UP had to offer >>> our students and our students benefited greatly.”* >>> >>> >>> >>> *“GEAR UP has helped me so much this past year and I will forever be >>> thankful for them. I had so many fears and questions about college that I >>> didn't know who to ask. Then, GEAR UP showed up at my school and answered >>> all of them and more,” *said Nicholas DiBuono, a GEAR UP Scholar from >>> Woodland High School and a Loring Job Corps Student.* “They believed in >>> us when we didn't believe in ourselves. GEAR UP is there when you need them >>> the most, they are just a text, call or email away and they are willing to >>> help you in any way they can. We need GEAR UP to continue to be a thing for >>> as long as it can so it can continue helping generations to come. Please >>> keep GEAR UP running for us, students, we need it more than you’ll ever >>> know.”* >>> >>> >>> >>> *“I’ve been part of GEAR UP for many years, and the people I’ve been >>> able to meet because of this program are invaluable,” *said Antonio >>> Gomez, a GEAR UP Scholar from Caribou High School and a first year student >>> at University of Southern Maine. *“I hope they can continue to give >>> mentorship and financial aid to those who need the extra help.”* >>> >>> >>> >>> Read a copy of the letter here. >>> <http://golden.house.gov/sites/golden.house.gov/files/211203%20GEAR%20UP%20Maine%20Del%20letter.pdf> >>> >>> >>> >>> ### >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Samantha Prosser >> TRIO Upward Bound Coordinator >> Maine Educational Opportunity Association (MEEOA) President >> >> University of Southern Maine >> 37 College Ave >> Gorham, ME 04038 >> Phone: 207-780-5828 >> Fax: 207-228-8259 >> Website: https://usm.maine.edu/upward-bound-veterans-high-school-students >> >> https://www.meeoa.org/ >> >> Pronouns: she, her, hers >> This message and its contents are confidential. If you received this >> message in error, do not use or rely upon it. Instead, please inform the >> sender and then delete it. Thank you. >> >>