Philanthropic Success

Philanthropic investment continues to make the difference. So far, alumni and friends have contributed more than $1.7 million for the Strategic Plan’s priorities in the last two years. A group of alumni leaders from Maine, Connecticut, and Massachusetts is leading the Leadership Starts Here! Scholarship Campaign to make new funds available. They have raised $1.1 million so far, adding to our current scholarship endowments of $11 million. And they aren’t done yet!

Additionally, recent major gifts from other generous supporters (totaling more than $500,000) are helping us launch a new CommUnity Leadership Institute, strengthen our competitive ski teams, expand marketing efforts, build distinctive and innovative undergraduate research initiatives, and plan needed renovations to the Fitness & Recreation Center.

CommUnity Leadership Institute

Empowering young leaders to build a culture of respect in their schools and communities

Made possible by a generous anonymous donation, the CommUnity Leadership Institute, which launched in summer of 2009, is a joint project of University of Maine at Farmington and the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence. The program, which was held recently on the UMF campus, provides challenging opportunities for students to develop thoughtful decision-making skills; invigorate involvement with their communities; and prepare for future leadership roles.

Almost 50 students from high schools in Maine, New Hampshire and Northern Ireland attended and were drawn from schools that participate in the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence's Unity Project--an intensive, multi-year collaboration between the Center and school districts to address bullying, bias and harassment.

During the session, student teams developed projects with the goal of making a positive change in their communities. Upon successful completion of these projects in spring 2010, the students will network with each other again--at UMF and via video conferencing--to share the success of their civic-minded projects. Leadership Studies certificates will be issued jointly to the students from UMF and the Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence.