Elms College Establishes Fund to Expand Students’ Real-world Opportunities

CHICOPEE — Elms College, thanks to a generous donation from Richard Meelia, has established the Sisters Kathleen Keating and Maxyne Schneider Experiential Learning Fund to expand experiential learning opportunities for students.

This new fund will allow students to participate in unpaid internships and research experiences related to their majors or career interests; service-learning and mission-trip experiences, whether local, national, or international; and study-abroad trips.

“In addition to ensuring academic success, it is vitally important to provide students with experiences that promote career success and a life of giving to others,” said Joyce Hampton, dean for Student Success and Strategic Initiatives. “This program will allow our students to promote the greater good and also gain skills in their chosen fields, and that will serve them well both personally and professionally.”

The funding will be available to students for experiences beginning in spring 2019, when several students students will receive funding to support their participation in such activities. For eligibility criteria and to apply, students should click here.

Applications are due by Oct. 26 for mission/service trips, Nov. 9 for study abroad, and Nov. 26 for research and internships. Students who are selected to receive awards from this fund will be notified by a formal letter via e-mail by mid-December, and will need to officially accept the funding within a week of notification.

“We are pleased and honored that Richard Meelia has bestowed this gift upon Elms College and our students,” said President Harry Dumay. “Thanks to his vision and generosity, and those of people like him, Elms College is poised like never before to advance the vision of our founders, the Sisters of St. Joseph: to empower students to better their own lives and to make a difference in the lives of those around them.”