Pregnant & Parenting Teens & Women

Joan Demeules, Director of Counseling and Student Development, received two grants to expand St. Catherine\u27s Access and Success program. The first, a $240,000 grant from the Minnesota Department of Health\u27s Young Parent Support Initiative (YPSI), will address the needs of college-age pregnant and parenting young people, who must balance school, work and family life. For these adolescents, higher education is a critical step in achieving economic stability. The grant will provide additional support and education for these vulnerable populations. St. Catherine University also received a$64,420 Consulting Contract that will provide consultation, technical assistance and training as the University launches the new student parent help center. For additional information, contact Joan Demeules at [email protected]

Residential Student Parent Programs at 4-Year Institutions

Joan Demeules, Associate Director of Access and Success, was awarded $6750 from Endicott College

St. Kate\u27s Dash Emergency Grants

Joan Demeules, Director of Access & Success, was awarded a grant to support students explore what works by connecting with grandees on a regular basis, to hear about their success and challenges. Great Lakes provides funds to support an emergency grant program for students pursuing a four-year degree. The Access and Success program would administer the grants and all BA and BS students who are eligible. The grants are part of an overall retention program that Great Lakes found to be very successful at the community colleges. The grant funds would help to replace $20,000 in emergency grants that had been available through the MN Dept. Of Health Grant. The intended outcome is to improve retention and graduation rates for low-income students

Keys to Degrees

Joan Demeules, Associate Director of Access and Success, received a $25,000 grant from Endicott College for the Keys to Degrees program. The most essential component of the Keys to Degrees model is full-time enrollment in education for both parent and child. Parents are enrolled in full-time college degree programs at the host institution, supporting the completion of a bachelor’s degree in a maximum time frame of 5 years. Simultaneously the students’ child(ren) maintain full-time enrollment in high quality early childhood education programs or public school and afterschool enrichment programs, as appropriate for the age of the child. Safe and affordable housing, food security, academic monitoring and year-round programming are other key components to the Keys to Degrees program