- The Hanover Pledges $500,000; Four Local Colleges to Provide Critical Supply of Tutors; WPS Commits to Building on AVID Platform -
WORCESTER, Mass., June 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, Inc., four local colleges, and the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) today announced that together they are taking a stand to increase the number of students who graduate from the city's public schools and go on to college.
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Through the partnership:
-- The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation will play a lead role in bringing
community resources together and make a $500,000 contribution to the
Worcester Education and Development Foundation to expand and strengthen
the AVID program in city schools. The Hanover Insurance Group also will
provide employee volunteers who will play important roles as mentors to
students in the program.
-- Anna Maria College, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic
Institute and Worcester State College together have pledged to provide
over 100 student tutors to help reach the 150 or more student tutors
needed to enable the success of the AVID program throughout the city.
-- WPS will expand the AVID program system-wide, boosting participation
from 15 percent of the population today to over 30 percent in the next
four years, and leveraging AVID methodologies beyond the AVID elective
classrooms to help enable all WPS students to reach their full
potential.
Helping Students Achieve Success
AVID -- Advancement Via Individual Determination -- is a nationally recognized in-school academic support program that helps prepare students for college who might not attend otherwise. After piloting the AVID program in Burncoat middle and high schools over the last four years, The Hanover will expand the program's reach to make an impact on the entire district.
"The Hanover, these four local colleges and the Worcester Public Schools are investing in AVID for one very important reason; it works," said Frederick H. Eppinger, chief executive officer at The Hanover. "One hundred percent of the Worcester Public School seniors enrolled in the AVID program this year graduated, and 95 percent of those students are expected to attend college in the fall."
The graduation rate in the WPS today is approximately 73 percent, and systemwide, 82 percent of graduating seniors go on to attend college in the fall.
"This program is all about moving the needle. It's about helping students achieve their true potential and fulfilling their dreams," Eppinger said. "Through this program, we envision the day when every student who graduates from the Worcester Public Schools will attend college and succeed."
Students who participate in the AVID program learn organizational and study skills, and strengthen critical thinking. They also get academic help from peers and college tutors, and participate in enrichment and motivational activities that make college seem attainable.
The AVID program targets students in the academic middle -- those with B, C and even some D grades -- who have the desire to go to college but may lack the organizational skills and the support that helps turn academic potential into achievement and success.
Expanding, Strengthening AVID in Worcester
The Worcester Public Schools adopted the AVID program at five schools in 2001, and enrolled approximately 500 students over the next four years. In 2005, The Hanover made a $200,000, four-year grant to bring AVID to the next level at Burncoat middle and senior high schools.
Today, the number of AVID students has more than doubled, with 1, 150 students or 15 percent of middle and high school students enrolled in the program across the system. And, 975 AVID students are enrolled in honors and advanced placement courses today, up from about 450 in 2005.
"We are very pleased and deeply grateful for this collaboration in support of the AVID program, which has generated strong results for our students," said Melinda Boone, who will assume the position of superintendent of WPS in July. "Parents entrust their children's education to our school system and we want to deliver. I look forward to working to ensure the successful implementation of AVID and that all of our students have an opportunity to be prepared to go on to attend higher education and reach their full potential."
Making Higher Education the Standard
Over the next four years, The Hanover's grant will expand the program in grades 7-12 throughout WPS, with the goals to reduce drop-out rates, increase enrollment in rigorous courses, and ultimately increase college readiness, acceptance and success.
Additionally, the funding will enable WPS and its partners to implement a wide range
of solutions in order to sustain the AVID program across the district. These include:
-- funding AVID libraries for all middle and high schools, which serve as
resources for site coordinators and administrators, helping them to
successfully implement all aspects of the program
-- establishing a self-sustaining tutor program in partnership with local
colleges
-- implementing processes to leverage and share knowledge between schools
-- providing staff development for teachers and school administrators
-- supplying employee volunteers who will serve as mentors and role models
Leveraging LocalCollege Talent
The tutors provided by participating local colleges also are key to the program's success. AVID tutors facilitate learning and challenge students to think critically and work collaboratively to solve problems. Each AVID classroom requires between two and three tutors each week to ensure the program's success. Additionally, AVID tutors serve as college-going role models that create linkages between college and public school students and families, and encourage an interest in college and college-going culture for AVID students. Overall, more than 150 committed tutors are needed each year to accommodate the nearly 70 AVID Elective classes in WPS middle and high schools.
To date, Holy Cross has committed to providing over 50 tutors; Worcester State has committed to supplying 40 AVID tutors; Anna Maria has pledged 25 AVID tutors and WPI also will provide tutors.
AVID tutors benefit from their participation in the program, gaining hand-on training in the classroom, a valuable experience that can help build organizational and writing skills, while applying problem solving and logic. Tutors will receive AVID training and receive academic credit for their contributions.
The four colleges released a joint statement, saying, "As four distinct institutions, we share common commitments to serving our local community and making higher education accessible for Worcester students. This partnership further demonstrates our dedication in these areas. We are excited to be a part of a program with so much proven success, through which middle and high school students will reap lifelong benefits. Equally exciting is how we look forward to watching our own students grow through their involvement as tutors."
About The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation
The mission of The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, Inc. is to improve the quality of life in communities where The Hanover Insurance Group companies have a major presence, placing a special emphasis on helping to build world class public education systems and inspiring and empowering youth to achieve their full potential.
The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. (NYSE: THG), based in Worcester, Mass. is a leading provider of auto, home and business insurance in Massachusetts. The Hanover Insurance Group, Inc. is the holding company for a group of insurers that includes The Hanover Insurance Company, also based in Worcester; Citizens Insurance Company of America, headquartered in Howell, Mich., and their affiliates. The Hanover offers a wide range of property and casualty products and services to individuals, families and businesses through an extensive network of independent agents, and has been meeting its obligations to its agent partners and their customers for more than 150 years. Taken as a group, The Hanover ranks among the top 40 property and casualty insurers in the United States. For more information, please visit www.hanover.com.
CONTACTS:
The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation Anna Maria College
Amy Lynn Banek Kay Prentiss
(508) 855-4486 (508) 849-3228
abanek@hanover.com kprentiss@annamaria.edu
College of the Holy Cross Worcester State College
Kristine Malone Lea Ann Erickson
(508) 793-2419 (508) 929-8018
kmmalone@holycross.edu lerickson1@worcester.edu
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Eileen Brangan Mell
(508) 831-6785
ebmell@wpi.edu
SOURCE The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, Inc.
Contact: Amy Lynn Banek of The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation, (508) 855-4486, abanek@hanover.com; or Kay Prentiss of Anna Maria College, +1-508-849-3228, kprentiss@annamaria.edu; or Kristine Malone of College of the Holy Cross, +1-508-793-2419, kmmalone@holycross.edu; or Lea Ann Erickson of Worcester State College, +1-508-929-8018, lerickson1@worcester.edu; or Eileen Brangan Mell of Worcester Polytechnic Institute, +1-508-831-6785, ebmell@wpi.edu