Bay Path awarded $20k grant from MassMutual

Date: 8/9/2010

LONGMEADOW -- Through its Pathways to College Programs, Bay Path College encourages young girls in western Massachusetts to pursue college and careers. MassMutual Financial Group recognizes the influence these initiatives have on the lives of local youth, and recently awarded Bay Path a $20,000 grant to support the college's It's MY Business! and Science Matters! programs this year.

The programs prepare girls entering grades 10 through 12 for college, develop the confidence they need to succeed, and broaden their ideas about careers in business, entrepreneurship, and the sciences.

Bay Path will use the MassMutual grant to expand the scope of It's MY Business! and Science Matters! programs and partner with parents and guardians to encourage Springfield's teens to pursue a college education.

"We greatly appreciate the support of MassMutual Financial Group and their efforts to ensure that young girls in Springfield are encouraged to achieve academically and have access to a college education," Carol A. Leary, PhD, president of Bay Path, said.

It's MY Business! helps girls develop their own business ideas and hone their leadership and communication skills, while they learn the key factors to running a business. Science Matters! brings girls and their science teachers into the College's laboratories for a week-long summer program of hands-on scientific inquiry.

Pathways to College participants return to campus throughout the year to participate in events and other activities that prepare them for college, help them develop the confidence they need to succeed, and allow them to explore a broad range of career options. Pathways to College will also focus on SAT preparation workshops and sessions on college searches, applications and the financial aid process.

For more information on summer programs at Bay Path College, visit http://www.baypath.edu/NewsandEvents/SummerPrograms.aspx.