MMP & MA CC: Technical Assistance for Tech Rise

By: Hannah St. Laurent

As an intermediary organization, Mass Mentoring Partnership wears many hats. 

We are capacity builders.

We are Advocates.

We are institutional change agents.

And, we are Trainers & Technical Assistance Specialists!

What is considered Technical Assistance?

Technical Assistance is one of the most effective methods for building the capacity of an organization because it taps into a wealth of knowledge and experience and is tailored to your needs. At Mass Mentoring Partnerships, we take into account everything unique about your program allowing us to provide the best solutions to help you grow confidently so you can best serve the youth in need in your community.

This service is precisely what led Bunker Hill Community College to MMP, in request of support for their proposed program to address inequities in the Tech field- Tech Rise: Advancing Equity for Women and People of Color in IT.

The project’s mission:

The Massachusetts Community Colleges (MA CC) Consortium project Tech Rise: Advancing Equity for Women and People of Color in IT unites the state’s 15 public community colleges to act as an engine of equity and socio-economic mobility, building on strategic equity initiatives of the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education (DHE). 

This mission has been born out of analysis of the student population, and enrollment data for the targeted programs; across the 15 community colleges, and through state workforce data, the MA CC Consortium has identified two equity gaps in IT-related fields: an enrollment gap for women, and a program completion gap for students of color.

In their budget proposal for funding, the MA CC named Mass Mentoring Partnership as a key player, providing technical assistance in capacity building for the program leaders. MMP team members Janeen-Smith Carnes and Lauren McCabe will each play important roles in supporting the Mentoring Coordinators (individuals whose roles are built into the funding request, and will be responsible for supporting those students in the Tech Rise program).

Each month, MMP will meet with project facilitators at Bunker Hill Community College (the original writers/requestors of the funding), and will provide training materials and support for the mentors in the program.

To begin with, Janeen and Lauren have recently trained ten volunteer mentors of the pilot program, to run this semester; they hope to expand in the following semesters, years and onward. College faculty will also play a key role in building student interest, as well as identifying students to participate.

Mass Mentoring Partnership is proud to bring our extensive knowledge and experience in mentoring programs to community organizations such as Bunker Hill Community College and the MA CC, and through our technical assistance programs and strategies,  are committed to providing individualized, capacity-building technical assistance to mentoring and youth-serving programs across the state.

To learn more about our Technical Assistance opportunities, please visit our website or connect with Janeen Smith-Carnes at jsmith@massmentors.org.

To learn more about the Tech Rise initiative, launched by Bunker Hill Community College, check out the Request for Proposal prepared by BHCC.

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