Bristol Community College courses come to Martha’s Vineyard
Get started at Bristol Community College with classes designed specifically for Vineyard residents. Enrolling now for Fall 2022 in collaboration with Martha’s Vineyard Center for Education and Training (formerly ACE MV).
Start your associate degree or certificate by taking courses at Bristol Community College. Courses include English, marine biology, and the College Success Seminar, which helps new students successfully
1. Bring your questions
2. Complete your enrollment
3. Get help with FAFSA
4. See you there!
Save time by completing your college application before attending the workshop.
It’s free! BristolCC.edu/apply
For more information visit BristolCC.edu/
ACE MV’s White Paper on Island Youth
Next Steps for Martha’s Vineyard: Recommendations to Expand Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults
ACE MV is pleased to provide you with the Final Report “Next Steps for Martha’s Vineyard: Recommendations to Expand Opportunities for Youth and Young Adults.“ This research report stems from our UMass Chan School of Medicine Rural Scholars project, sponsored by the Dukes County Health Council. Our focus was to identify service gaps, barriers, and needs of the Vineyard’s disconnected youth and young adult population, and we worked with dozens of community stakeholders to develop these comprehensive and formal recommendations.
We hope these recommendations will be embraced by you, your organization, and our community partners as we all strive to improve the lives of our Island’s youth. Please share this with your team and refer to it when making decisions about planning, equity, inclusivity, education, economics, housing, workforce, and community health. Your feedback is welcome.
ACE MV Wins Workforce Training Grants
Reprinted from The Vineyard Gazette Jan 5 2022:
ACE MV (Adult and Continuing Education of Martha’s Vineyard) has been awarded four new grants to support education and training for Island workers and youths, according to an announcement from the organization this week.
Grants from the MV Bank Charitable Foundation and the MV Community Foundation will fund ACE MV’s Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) Program. The bank’s charitable oundation also provided funding for an additional Medical Interpreter Course, to train bilingual Vineyard residents in ethical and effective interpreter services for hospital, clinic and Covid site language needs. These grants will significantly lower the cost of tuition for each student who enrolls, according to the announcement.
A grant from the Couch Family Foundation will support ACE MV’s Youth Workforce & Career Pathways programming for the Island’s high school youth and young adults. And with a grant from Santander Bank Foundation, ACE MV will continue working closely with the high school, the charter school and young adults up to age 26 to provide free workshops and learning opportunities, especially in financial literacy and career readiness.
Rural Scholars findings featured in Vineyard Gazette
Rural Scholars Find Limited Options for Island Young Adults
In past years, Rural Scholars teams have examined Islandwide health issues including homelessness, aging, reproductive health care and substance use disorders.
This time, at the request of community education provider ACE MV, the future health care providers focused on conditions for Islanders aged 16 to 26 who may be disconnected from the larger Vineyard community.
“The young adult population is one of the least served on Martha’s Vineyard,” ACE MV executive director Holly Bellebuono said, as she introduced the UMass team to about 40 people who turned out for Monday’s presentation in the regional high school library.
ACE MV to Host 2021 Rural Scholars
We are excited to share that ACE MV has been selected by the Dukes County Health Council to host the 2021 Rural Scholars. Nursing and medical students from UMass Medical School are traveling to Martha’s Vineyard to conduct research that aims to benefit the MV youth population, by collecting information that clarifies how disconnected youth ages 16-26 experience life on MV and what services/supports they need/desire to actualize their professional and educational aspirations. Disconnected youth, as defined for this study’s purpose, are those young persons who are not currently enrolled in high school or post-secondary education and/or are currently unemployed.
To date, no large-scale study or evaluation has been able to capture the educational, professional, and personal experiences of this population. The outcome of the study will be shared with the Martha’s Vineyard community on November 1, 2021 and the results will allow various stakeholders to use them in building programs and services for this population, including workforce development. Monday, November 21, 5pm-6:30pm at MVRHS Library. All are welcome to attend.
Video: “State of the Island” on older adult employment on MV
Posted: April 18, 2021
If you missed our panels on older adult employment, we’ve compiled video of both events here.
Who should watch:
- Older adults (50+) who are seeking employment (either currently employed or want to be)
- Organizations who serve older adults (who want to be informed as to these resources)
- Island employers
April 7 Panel:
Resources to Support Older Adult Employment
Getting older adults back into the workforce or improving their employment situation post-COVID is on the radar screen of our national, state and local governments. Come hear about what resources are available to make this a reality.
• Overview of older adult employment on the island (HAMV from Older Adult Survey Results)
• Senior Community Service Employment Program
• Mass Association of Councils on Aging – 50+ Job Seekers program
• Vocational Services for the Disabled (Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission)
April 14 Panel:
An Island Employment Overview and Upskilling Options
Learn about the “sweet spot” – what our island employers want and need… and how to upskill yourself to find the right position.
• Employment outlook for the island and what employers want and need (Chamber of Commerce)
• An introduction to ACE MV and an overview of curriculum for job seekers (ACE MV)
• Volunteerism as a pathway to employment (Americorps Senior RSVP)
• MassHire Career Centers – Jobseeker Services
Have questions about this event or want more information? Feel free to reach out to us.