Northern Essex Partners with Northeastern on S-POWER

Paul Chanley, program coordinator of Engineering Science and Electronic Technology at Northern Essex Community College, will coordinate the S-POWER Program in partnership with Northeastern University. (Courtesy photograph.)

Northeastern University recently received a $5 million grant from the National Science Foundation that could benefit Northern Essex Community College engineering science students.

Northern Essex is one of five colleges selected to partner with Northeastern on the grant, which is designed to support college transfer students from under-represented backgrounds who are studying and doing research in energy.

“Northern Essex Community College’s engineering program has collaborated with Northeastern University on many projects over the past 15 years,” said Paul Chanley, coordinator of NECC’s Engineering Program. The S-POWER grant is another example of our solid partnership and dedication to engineering education in Massachusetts.”

Each year, three NECC engineering science students, who are interested in the energy industry, may receive a $2,500-a-year scholarship to support their engineering educations. Beginning this fall and running five years, students also have the potential to enroll at Northeastern University’s prestigious School of Engineering.

The program, Student Pathways Opening World Energy Resources or S-POWER, ties in with a national initiative to increase diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields as well as the energy sector.

The intent of S-POWER is to successfully educate transfer students, particularly those with financial need; minorities; females; and first-generation students.

The program provides scholarships for up to 160 undergraduate and graduate students. Participating students are each eligible for up to $30,000 direct financial aid once they transfer to Northeastern.

Students who earn at least a 3 grade point average during their first semester at NECC are eligible to apply for the S-POWER Scholarship when the college’s general scholarship application process opens in late February. If they receive the $2,500 a year scholarship they will be encouraged to attend Northeastern’s annual transfer conference in Boston.

NECC Engineering Science majors accepted into NU’s S-Power program, will attend a summer bridge program to help them acclimate to Northeastern, before officially enrolling. While completing the last three years of the five-year bachelor’s degree at Northeastern, students will participate in two, six-month work co-ops in the energy field.