One Million Degrees

TO ACCELERATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS' PROGRESS ON CAREER PATHWAYS TO ECONOMIC MOBILITY

TUITION AND STIPENDS - OMD PROVIDES LAST-DOLLAR SCHOLARSHIPS TO COVER THE GAP BETWEEN SCHOLAR'S FINANCIAL AID AWARDS AND THE ACTUAL COST OF TUITION. PARTICIPATION BASED STIPENDS ASSIST IN DEFRAYING EDUCATIONAL EXPENSES INCLUDING BOOKS, TECHNOLOGY, TRANSPORTATION, AND CHILDCARE FOR SCHOLARS MEETING PROGRAM OBJECTIVES. ENRICHMENT GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE BY APPLICATION TO SUPPORT SCHOLARS OFFSET ONE-TIME COSTS INCLUDING ACCREDITATION TESTS, ADDITIONAL TRAINING, ORGANIZATIONAL DUES, AND CONFERENCE FEES. EMERGENCY GRANTS ARE AVAILABLE BY APPLICATION TO MEET CRITICAL NEEDS FOR SCHOLARS EXPERIENCING MAJOR CHALLENGES.

STUDENT DEVELOPMENT - IN ADDITION TO THE FINANCIAL AND CASE MANAGEMENT RESOURCES COMPOSING THE SCHOLAR DEVELOPMENT MODEL, SCHOLARS ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO A ROBUST SET OF ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL RESOURCES. THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, OMD PROVIDES ACCESS TO WEEKLY INDIVIDUALIZED TUTORING TO SCHOLARS AT ALL COURSE LEVELS. OMD ALSO HOSTS MONTHLY PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOPS IN WHICH SCHOLARS LEARN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION SKILLS, PERSONAL FINANCIAL LITERACY AND PLANNING, HOW TO NAVIGATE THEIR IDENTITIES IN THE WORKPLACE, AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. SCHOLARS ARE ALSO MATCHED WITH ONE OF OMD'S VOLUNTEER COACHES WHO SUPPORT SCHOLARS GOAL SETTING, RESUME DEVELOPMENT, INTERVIEW SKILLS, AND POST-GRADUATE CAREER AND ACADEMIC PLANNING. SCHOLARS ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN EXPERIENTIAL EVENTS TO APPLY AND BUILD UPON THE SKILLS THEY ARE LEARNING. THESE EVENTS HAVE INCLUDED CAREER AND RESOURCE FAIRS WHICH CONNECT SCHOLARS TO JOB OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND COLLEGE AS WELL AS SPEED NETWORKING, AN EVENT WHERE SCHOLARS PRACTICE NETWORKING WITH OMD VOLUNTEERS.

INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORT - THE CENTRAL POINT OF CONNECTION BETWEEN A SCHOLAR AND OMD IS THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR, WHO PROVIDES PERSONALIZED CASE MANAGEMENT AND SUPPORT TO A CASELOAD OF SCHOLARS AT THEIR CAMPUS. PROGRAM COORDINATORS MEET BI-WEEKLY WITH SCHOLARS, CONNECT SCHOLARS TO RESOURCES, SUPPORT GOAL SETTING, AND HELP SCHOLARS NAVIGATE THEIR COLLEGE'S SYSTEMS AND BUREAUCRACY. PROGRAM COORDINATORS SERVE AS TRUSTED ADVISORS AND ADVOCATES FOR THEIR SCHOLARS AND ASSIST IN SETTING GOALS AND HOLDING SCHOLARS ACCOUNTABLE. PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS AND COORDINATOR FEEDBACK CAN ASSIST SCHOLARS IN MONITORING AND ACCELERATING THEIR PROGRESS ON PATHWAYS TO ECONOMIC MOBILITY.