Established in 2012, Project Launch (PL) is an original model that works with students and families to provide the on-going support needed for a successful transition from high school to post-secondary degree completion. Established in 2012, Project Launch (PL) is an original model that works with students and families in Deer Isle, Stonington and the surrounding peninsula communities of Sedgwick,
Brooklin, Brooksville and Blue Hill. In partnership with the Deer Isle-Stonington High School (DISHS), we provide the on-going support needed for a successful transition from high school to post-secondary degree completion. Through a combination of hard work and innovative supports, PL has had measurable success! Over 100 students have voluntarily enrolled in our program and of these students, 65% have either already successfully completed their post-secondary degree or are still enrolled in a program of study. In 2017 and 2018, every PL student who entered a post-secondary degree program successfully completed their first year and returned for the second. As shared by Andrea Perry (Program Officer, Broad Reach Fund), “Project Launch is dedicated to making the program the most successful it can be. Each year they evaluate their work and make adjustments. It's clearly working - kids are staying in college and earning degrees. College graduation and retention rates are major concerns in a state like Maine that is desperate for young, qualified workers. Project Launch is a local solution that is working. It's a model program and other schools and institutions that also want to take on this challenge are paying attention to what's been developed here.”
