Campus Compact for New Hampshire regularly obtains grants from funders dedicated to improving opportunity through college access and success, community engagement, and other activities related to our mission.
We also partner with other regional and national organizations to advance the public purposes of higher education through grant-funded projects. As a result, we regularly offer our member campuses opportunities for sub-grant funds to advance their work in the community. Recent initiatives funded through campus sub-grants appear below.
GEAR UP Express Grants
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) is a federal program funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Its mission is to increase the number of low-income middle and high school students who are prepared to enter and succeed in postsecondary education.
GEAR UP New Hampshire is a statewide program hosted through a partnership between CCNH and the New Hampshire College & University Council. As part of this program, we were able to offer the opportunity for member campuses to apply for Express grants of $1,000 to help fund activities to advance GEAR UP’s mission.
The sub-grants funded projects that developed or enhanced an existing partnership between a higher education institution and a K–12 school in New Hampshire. The program focused on funding new initiatives designed to increase pathways to higher education for low-income and underrepresented students.
GEAR UP New Hampshire Capacity-Building Grants
As part of the GEAR UP New Hampshire program, CCNH also partnered with the New Hampshire College & University Council to offer capacity-building grants of up to $5,000.
Grants funded activities within one or more of the following priority areas:
- Develop partnerships with GEAR UP New Hampshire cohort districts to deliver programming or resources that promote a college-going culture at their schools.
- Identify and disseminate information on best practices related to parental involvement.
- Identify and disseminate information on best practices for preparing students—including students with disabilities and those with limited English proficiency—to prepare for and succeed in school.
- Work to align state academic standards and curricula with the expectations of postsecondary institutions and employers.
Environmental Stewardship Grants
CCNH partnered with Maine Campus Compact and Southern New England Campus Compact to develop the Campuses for Environmental Stewardship (CES) grant program. Over a three-year period, CES trained faculty members to develop courses in partnership with local community organizations to address environmental stewardship, STEM education, and other issues affecting environmental sustainability.
Through CES, more than 60 faculty members from 16 colleges and universities in New Hampshire, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island worked to embed community-engaged environmental education into their courses. Working in multidisciplinary teams, each campus delivered 3-4 related service-learning courses that culminated with a student-led community initiative and/or presentation.