Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) has received a $2.4 million award from the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation to establish the Early College program, representing the largest private grant in the College’s history.
Wednesday afternoon in Chelsea, an event was held to celebrate the early college designation awarded to Chelsea High School’s Early College program by the Baker-Polito Administration. The Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation’s Board Members attended alongside Governor Charlie Baker to observe the Early College initiative’s effects firsthand. During the gathering, Governor Baker and attending legislators heard directly from four Chelsea High School students who described how participation in the program shaped their choice to pursue college-level coursework.
Transformation to a Consolidated Early College Model
Through the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation’s support, BHCC can consolidate its Early College work into a unified model designed to accommodate expansion and strengthen outcomes, while also refining and sharing effective strategies across the sector. The $2.4 million grant funds a three-year initiative expected to reach more than 500 high school students through partnerships with high schools and community-based organizations throughout Greater Boston.
“We are so thankful to the Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation for this extraordinary grant. It allows us to consolidate and scale our early work, to gather data and evidence of success and to make a strong case to the leaders of the Commonwealth that Early College is a viable and scalable solution to talent and economic development,” explained BHCC President Pam Eddinger.
As an early adopter of Early College programming, BHCC currently works with seven high schools and community-based organizations, enrolling nearly 500 early college students and approximately 400 dual enrollment participants. Growing interest and early achievements with underrepresented student populations, combined with the prospect of enhanced educational equity and student success, prompted the College to unify its Early College efforts into a central model aligned with its Mission. The grant arrives at a crucial moment for this work, providing the financial and structural resources needed to advance to the next phase.
According to Lynne Doblin, Executive Director of The Richard and Susan Smith Family Foundation, “The Foundation’s Board of Trustees is pleased to be partnering with one of the Commonwealth’s leading community colleges to bring a transformative model proven in other states to Greater Boston. By bridging high school and college experiences, Early College will help many students graduate from high school ready to succeed in college and enjoy the benefits of the Commonwealth’s strong economy,”
Early College: A Cross-Segment Convergence in Education Strategy
This initiative reflects an emerging alignment among state education leaders and policymakers in their thinking.
“An important goal of the Early College program is exposing students to college-level work while they are still in high school so they can envision themselves on a track toward a college degree,” Governor Baker stated at Wednesday’s event. “The college-level experience, combined with the credits they earn in the courses, sets many students up for success by the time they arrive on a campus.”
The Secretary of Education, the Board of Higher Education, and the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education are backing efforts to recognize Early College work through designations for strong partnerships statewide, with plans for sustained funding support soon. These designations, which include BHCC’s program, will encourage innovation, track successful practices, and measure results.
BHCC’s Early College work will serve as an important demonstration, and data collected over the coming three years will offer compelling evidence regarding Early College’s effectiveness in raising high school graduation rates, improving college completion, and expanding career opportunities.