High School Class of 2021—click here to apply

Mentoring, Access, and Persistence—or MAP—is designed for students from or attending school on Maine’s 15 year-round, unbridged islands. Our goal is to support a cohort of students throughout the college application and transition process by providing leadership training, monthly webinars, individualized support, peer mentoring, and scholarship support.

As a member of the MaineSpark coalition, the Island Institute is working toward the goal that “by 2025, 60% of Mainers will hold education and workforce credentials valued by Maine’s businesses and employees.” MAP is a key strategy in boosting post-secondary enrollment and persistence-to-completion among island students. The recent addition of Compass Workforce Grants to our scholarship portfolio permits recent graduates who want to enter the workforce directly to access grant funding to assist with costs associated with equipment purchases, training, or obtaining workforce credentials. The goal is to help youth from Maine’s unbridged islands successfully transition to the next step along their path.

MAP resources

  • Summer Leadership Intensive: During the summer between their junior and senior years, MAP Scholars will be invited to participate in a multi-day leadership training that will benefit all students, regardless of their future plans.
  • Webinars and Virtual Classroom: MAP Scholars will participate in a Google Classroom where Island Institute staff post webinars on time management, college applications, financial aid, scholarship search, mindfulness, and other useful topics. Students interact virtually by commenting on the webinars and sharing questions. Other cohort experiences offered through the Google Classroom include virtual college tours and essay writing workshops.
  • Online Resource Toolbox: There’s so much information out there about colleges, scholarships, and navigating transitions that it can be hard to know where to begin. We’ve pulled together a list of helpful resources—organized by subject matter—to help you connect with the information you need.
  • Individualized Support: Island Institute staff will be available to provide individualized support to MAP Scholars and their families.
  • Peer Mentor: Graduating high school seniors will be paired with island student mentors currently enrolled in college. Mentors will provide support to their mentees through weekly check-ins and events during the year.
  • Scholarship: MAP Scholars who successfully meet program requirements will receive a $2,000 scholarship, at $500/year for up to four years. Each year, a MAP student from Casco Bay will receive the Seth Jordan Memorial Scholarship, a one-time gift of $3,000, and a student from Downeast and the Penobscot Bay region will receive the Peter and Philip Scholarship for $3,000.

These services are available to eligible island high school juniors, including those interested in pursuing “non-traditional paths” such as two-year, vocational, or technical programs at an accredited institution, and to students who are uncertain of their future plans. 

Eligibility and program requirements 

For more information about the MAP Program, including eligibility and program requirements, download a copy of the brochure:  The Map to MAP

Questions?

Please contact us at scholarships@islandinstitute.org with any questions.

 

For more information on all of the Island Institute's scholarship and transition support, visit www.islandinstitute.org/program/education/scholarships.