The GE Foundation today announced a $1.5 million grant to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) Foundation with the goal of providing continued support to diverse students entering MMA with studies focused on clean energy.
The grant is co-funded with $1.5 million from the Academy, providing a total of $3 million to launch the GE Fellows Program, which includes career exploration programming, endowed scholarships, and training opportunities.
“We are proud to work with the MMA Foundation in empowering diverse students to pursue higher education in clean energy,” said Linda Boff, President of GE Foundation. “GE is committed to building workforce capacity in the emerging offshore wind (OSW) industry, and this scholarship program will also help to ensure the talent pipeline in the South Coast region is diverse and representative.”
“We are grateful to the GE Foundation for this significant commitment to both the future of our students, and to clean energy, and we are excited to see the launch of the GE Fellows Program,” said Rear Admiral Francis X. McDonald, USMS, president of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. “This support will go a long way toward ensuring more opportunities in these growing fields are accessible to all of our students.”
The GE Fellows Program consists of a multi-pronged approach to build a diverse pipeline of students pursuing clean energy careers, with annual scholarships funding career exploration programming for middle and high school students, endowed scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students, and offshore wind training and certification program for adult learners through:
Career Exploration Programming
- Ten $500 scholarships awarded annually to high school students attending Sea, Science and Leadership Programs (SSLP), which are interactive, educational workshops that build confidence and develop leadership qualities.
- Ten $500 scholarships awarded annually to rising seventh and eighth grade students to attend theAdvanced Studies & Leadership Program, which is a 2-week summer residential experience developed by the Cape Cod Collaborative with the MMA.
Undergraduate Scholarships
Twenty $6,250 scholarships awarded annually to undergraduate students enrolling in or currently enrolled at MMA, with a preference for applicants who express interest in studies and/or careers in renewable and green energy maritime applications.
Graduate Scholarships
Two $5,000 scholarships awarded annually to graduate students enrolling in or currently enrolled in an MMA masters programs, with a preference for applicants entering or enrolled in the Facilities Engineering program, with consideration for the Maritime Business Management and Emergency Management programs.
OSW Training and Certification Program Scholarships
Five $1,000 scholarships awarded annually through Building Pathways, or other appropriate Workforce Development partner organization, with a preference to applicants interested in a career in OSW with a particular focus on the trades that have offshore scope.
The GE Foundation has a longstanding commitment to building workforce diversity and capacity in Massachusetts. Since its launch in 2019 in partnership with the Baker-Polito Administration, the Advanced Manufacturing Training Expansion Program (AMTEP) has been dedicated to building a more diverse, sustainable, “ready-to-work” pipeline of advanced manufacturing talent in Lynn and across Massachusetts’ North Shore. Funded through 2025, the program has connected hundreds of high school students and adult learners to the advanced manufacturing workforce, with women comprising 15 percent of participants and more than half being racially and ethnically diverse.
