GSA receives $200k donation for technical education upgrades and improvements

The second year of the grant will allow for equipment upgrades to GSA’s technical skills classes. Photo courtesy of Unsplash.

By John Boit

George Stevens Academy has received a $200,000 donation to help the school make upgrades and improvements to its technical education offerings. The gift will be received over a four-year period.

“The gift is designated for workforce skill and career preparation programs,” school head Dan Welch said in an email to The Rising Tide. “This will be a mixture of expanding current programmatic areas, along with implementing new programs over the next several years.

The first year of allocation will be spent on upgrading and enhancing GSA’s current shop space and technical education classrooms, “such as upgrading dust collection systems, electrical systems, flooring and drywall improvements,” Welch said.The second year will focus on larger equipment needs and tools.

The school is hoping to form an advisory committee of local tradespeople and contractors “to help us make this as beneficial as possible,” Welch said. The school also has an eye toward working with other schools for college credits as well as tapping into local employers for additional opportunities.

“We hope to work with Maine Community Colleges to create articulation agreements so students here can gain college credits within the trades or technical education while attending GSA and to also work with area employers to identify how we can leverage our student's experiences here to set them up for success as they enter the workforce after high school,” Welch wrote in his email.

The donation was from a local resident who wishes to remain anonymous.

"We are so very grateful for this wonderful gift to our school community,” Welch said. “This is a shining example of how much people on this peninsula are invested in helping our young people meet their goals and dreams. It is always our endeavour to support all our students and this gift will enable us to provide a springboard for many of them in achieving their post secondary aspirations.”