Muncie resident and educator Julie McGee has joined Project Leadership Delaware County to lead and launch the local mentoring initiative. McGee’s undergraduate degree in social studies teaching is from Michigan State University and graduate degree in language education is from Indiana University. She is a former Ball State University college instructor and former high school social studies teacher.As graduation coach, she will be recruiting mentoring program participants and monitoring the program. She joins Community Scholarship Liaison Dick Daniel who has been partnering since March with Delaware County schools and the regional Twenty-first Century Scholars office to recruit local middle school students into the state’s Scholars program.
“Julie’s lifelong commitment to education makes her an excellent choice for the position of graduation coach,” Daniel said. “Only half of the battle is won by providing students the opportunity to get money to go to college. The other half of the battle is to ensure that they successfully navigate their way through high school and into that post-secondary world.”
More than 7 out of 10 eligible 8th-grade students (73%) were recruited into the state’s Twenty-first Century Scholars Program this past enrollment year in Delaware County. Students are enrolled for the state program while in middle school. Sixth-graders were able to enroll last year for the first time because of changes in the program guidelines. In Delaware County, 35% of the eligible students in this grade level were recruited. Across all three recruitment grade levels —6th, 7th and 8th — 799 students or 49% of those eligible were enrolled in Delaware County.
“We’re excited to take this next step and are confident in the team we have in place to fulfill a collective community goal to increase the number of students pursuing higher education,” said Project Leadership Director Tammy Pearson. “Through its community partnerships, Project Leadership Delaware County is meeting its goal to increase the number of Twenty-first Century Scholars. The critical next step is to support and mentor students as they transition out of middle school and into high school to fulfill their Scholars pledge.”
FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:
Project Leadership Delaware County
Community Scholarship Liaison Dick Daniel
765-747-5250
ddaniel@muncie.k12.in.us
Project Leadership Director
Tammy Pearson
765-651-0650
tpearson@projectleadership.org
