{"id":7394,"date":"2025-04-18T14:28:18","date_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:28:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/?p=7394"},"modified":"2025-04-18T14:28:18","modified_gmt":"2025-04-18T14:28:18","slug":"next-step-program","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/next-step-program\/","title":{"rendered":"Community Foundation Launches Next Step Education Program to Help Tri-County Residents"},"content":{"rendered":"<h3 class=\\\"p3\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><i>Students, Working Professionals Seeking Educational Growth are Encouraged to Apply<\/i><\/span><\/h3>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><i><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span><\/i><b>WATERTOWN \u2014 <\/b><span class=\\\"s1\\\">The Northern New York Community Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of <\/span>its <b>Next Step Education Program<\/b> to support students and working professionals pursuing career advancement and educational growth.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Thanks to the generous support of many Community Foundation donors, the Next Step Education Program aims to help individuals as they pursue postsecondary education and training.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>\u201cThis builds upon the Community Foundation\u2019s history and heritage of supporting local students in whatever paths they choose and is an opportunity to be more responsive to diversification of career paths we are seeing,\u201d Community Foundation Executive Director Rande S. Richardson said. \u201cAt the same time, this allows us to provide greater options for donors who have an interest in inspiring those who are looking to better themselves and our communities in a variety of ways.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>The expanded educational program is designed to assist students of all ages, including recent high school graduates, adult learners, working professionals, and nontraditional students, as they work to earn degrees, certifications, or technical credentials that will advance their professional goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img class=\\\"aligncenter size-large wp-image-7393\\\" src=\\\"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/NNYCF_NextStepEPlogo_041825-1024x653.png\\\" alt=\\\"\\\" width=\\\"1024\\\" height=\\\"653\\\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>The Next Step Education Program provides financial support to individuals who reside in Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties and are seeking to advance their education in various ways. Ideal applicants include people who have put their education on hold or need to boost their skills to secure a new or better job. <\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Whether enrolling in an accredited college, university, technical, or trade school or gaining industry-recognized certifications, the Next Step Education Program aims to help individuals achieve lasting success.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>This opportunity is made possible by the generosity of donors who believe in the power of lifelong education. Their support ensures that more people in our community have access to the training and education they need to reach their goals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>The Next Step Education Program supports a wide range of educational and professional development pathways, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\">Micro-credentials and professional certifications to strengthen skills or secure employment<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\">Courses or programs that lead to a degree<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\">Technical and trade school training for hands-on, high-demand careers<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\">Enhanced skills programs for career advancement or to help obtain new employment, such as<\/span><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0<\/span>Microsoft Office programs and more<\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\">Programs at local BOCES campuses<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\">Professional licensing programs, including CDL and other industry-specific certifications<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\">Award amounts are up to $2,000, and may be used for tuition, books, and course-related expenses<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Applications to the Next Step Education Program are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the calendar year and are reviewed every 30 days for funding decisions. Individuals are encouraged to apply through the Community Foundation\u2019s online application portal at <a href=\\\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/Next-Step-Program\\\"><b>bit.ly\/Next-Step-Program<\/b><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Email <b>Mary Perrine<\/b>, scholarship and program manager, <a href=\\\"mailto:maryp@nnycf.org\\\"><b>maryp@nnycf.org<\/b><\/a>, or <b>Tara Hess<\/b>, scholarship and program associate, <a href=\\\"mailto:tara@nnycf.org\\\"><b>tara@nnycf.org<\/b><\/a>, or call <b>315-782-7110<\/b> with questions about the Next Step Education Program or to learn more.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>The Community Foundation has a decades-long history of partnering with donors to provide educational aid to tri-county students through an extensive scholarship program that supports high school seniors and nontraditional students, and working professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"s1\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Since 1980, the Community Foundation has awarded more than $26 million in scholarships to students who live in the tri-county region. In addition to its own scholarship awards, the Community Foundation annually administers nearly 500 scholarships established by individual donors, business, and organizations as well as scholarship funds on behalf of 32 school districts across the three counties.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p6\\\"><b>About the Northern New York Community Foundation<\/b><\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Since 1929, the Northern New York Community Foundation has invested in improving and enriching the quality of life for all in communities across Jefferson, Lewis, and St. Lawrence counties.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>Through partnerships with businesses and organizations, charitable foundations, and generous families and individual donors, the Community Foundation awards grants and scholarships from an endowment and collection of funds that benefit the region. Its commitment to donors helps individuals achieve their charitable objectives now and for generations to come by preserving and honoring legacies of community philanthropy while inspiring others.<\/p>\n<p class=\\\"p4\\\"><span class=\\\"Apple-converted-space\\\">\u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 <\/span>The Community Foundation is a resource for local charitable organizations, donors, professional advisors and nonprofit organizations. It also works to bring people together at its permanent home in the Northern New York Philanthropy Center to discuss challenges our communities face and find creative solutions that strengthen the region and make it a great place to live, work, and play.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Students, Working Professionals Seeking Educational Growth are Encouraged to Apply \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 WATERTOWN \u2014 The Northern New York Community Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of its Next Step Education Program to support students and working professionals pursuing career advancement and educational growth. \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 Thanks to the generous support of many Community Foundation &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["type-post","category-recent-news","entry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7394","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7394"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7394\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nnycf.org\/new\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}