Bunker Hill Community College Offers College Preparation Program for Chelsea Students

BOSTON, July 13,  2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- TRIO-Talent Search, a federally funded program that supports high school students from disadvantaged backgrounds, has launched a special initiative this summer. There is currently space to accept additional students in the program from Chelsea High School.

TRIO-Talent Search was launched at Chelsea High School in May of this year. Operated by Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) in partnership with Chelsea Public Schools and Families United in Educational Leadership (FUEL), the program offers a variety of outreach, early college awareness and student support services designed to prepare Chelsea High School students for college.

This summer, TRIO is offering eligible students college visits, volunteer opportunities and workshops. Students in the program recently visited the Benjamin Franklin Institute of Technology where they learned about vocational programs in ophthalmology, automotive technology, architectural science and other fields. Students also practiced job and college interview skills at a workshop with volunteers from various industries. Participants in the program also sorted and packed more than 3,000 pounds of food at the Greater Boston Food Bank. Upcoming summer programs include: college visits to UMass Boston, UMass Dartmouth and Salem State University, volunteer opportunities at organizations such as GreenFest and Cradles to Crayons, and workshops on study skills and essay writing.

During the school year, TRIO offers tutoring in math, science, and English, college admissions counseling, and assistance in completing college applications and financial aid forms. "I think the real value of the program is exposing students to the opportunities available," said Program Director Austin Gilliland.  "We're helping students to succeed in high school so that they can also succeed in college."

For more information or if interested in applying, please contact the TRIO office, located at the Chelsea High School Library (617-466-5075), or e-mail Director Austin Gilliland at [email protected]. Se habla Espanol. Nou pale Kreyol. (Spanish and Haitian Creole spoken).

Press Contact:

Colleen Roach, Executive Director of Communications & Marketing
Bunker Hill Community College
250 New Rutherford Avenue; Boston, MA 02129
Phone: (617) 228-2177; Email: [email protected]

Bunker Hill Community College is the largest community college in Massachusetts. The College enrolls more than 13,600 students on two campuses and at three satellite locations. BHCC is one of the most diverse institutions of higher education in Massachusetts. Six in ten students are people of color and more than half of BHCC's students are women. The College also enrolls more than 830 international students who come from more than 90 countries and speak 75 different languages.

SOURCE Bunker Hill Community College