EDITOR'S NOTE

by: Jennie K. Leavell

Berea College may be located in a rural area, but the College is by no means isolated! Since the last issue of the magazine, Berea has garnered national recognition through three distinct venues.

First, the U.S. Department of Education has awarded Berea’s Office of Externally Sponsored Programs four large and highly selective grants totaling over $100 million (p. 6). The central mission is to provide college readiness services to Appalachian students and communities. Spread over seven years, these federal grants will be used to enhance and improve the educational systems in 17 neighboring southeastern Kentucky counties, among the poorest and most academically challenged in the country. Two Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (GEAR UP) programs will place academic specialists in schools to improve college readiness through tutoring, campus visits, career exploration for students, and financial planning for parents. The Investing in Innovation (i3) grant will support intensive college Advance Placement (AP) training for students and teachers in the high schools. The fourth grant, Promise Neighborhood, will provide a broad spectrum of services with a focus on cradle-to-career support of children, teens, and their families. Programs include summer camps, health and wellness guidance, tutoring and teaching programs, domestic violence prevention, and community arts. Executive director of the Office of Externally Sponsored Programs, Dreama Gentry, ’89, has spearheaded the grant process and will lead a team of approximately 130 educational support staff. These programs, administered by Dreama, will impact the lives of some 20,000 people. We can anticipate a far brighter future for Appalachia and great results from Dreama’s inspired leadership!

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