NORTH ADAMS, Mass.—The Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts Foundation, Inc. announced it has received a $500,000 gift from MountainOne that will create the College's first hybrid endowment.

 

The MountainOne Fund, the largest commitment in MountainOne's history, will support multiple priorities over the next five years. The hybrid strategy allows MountainOne's leadership to shift its funding focus from year to year to match their goals for supporting MCLA and community needs.

 

"As two enduring pillars of North Adams, MountainOne and MCLA have a shared commitment to drive economic growth and invest in our community's future," said President and CEO of MountainOne Robert Fraser. "This inspires our contribution, and we look forward to seeing how our donation will enrich student experiences and strengthen our community."

 

The initial focus of the MountainOne Fund is scholarship support for current North Adams Public Schools (NAPS) teachers currently teaching under emergency licenses they obtained during the pandemic.

The emergency license allowed those with a bachelor's degree to start teaching and move on to a provisional license in the future. Earlier this year, the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) in Massachusetts established four regional centers across the state to facilitate the transition of emergency license holders to initial licensure.

 

"The MountainOne scholarship provides much-needed assistance for our teachers working under emergency licensure," said Assistant Superintendent of the North Adams Public Schools Dr. Timothy Callahan. "These are dedicated new educators who are working hard in the classroom and in their own studies so they can attain full licensure and pursue their master's degree. With teacher shortages across the country, we are grateful to MountainOne for helping to develop local educators who are already filling vital positions within our schools."

 

MCLA President James F. Birge, Ph.D. echoed this sentiment.

 

"We are incredibly appreciative of MountainOne for their generosity in creating this very flexible fund. Their commitment to advancing education in our community through two years of funding this scholarship not only strengthens our partnership with North Adams Public Schools, but also empowers teachers to pursue permanent licensure. This will ultimately improve the quality of education for our students and create a positive, long-lasting impact in the region."

 

The MCLA Education Department, in collaboration with Westfield State University, serves as Western Massachusetts's Regional Center for Emergency License Holders, providing essential support to emergency license holders within Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire County public school districts. This includes Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL) registration and preparation support, coaching, mentoring, and access to resources such as classwork and field experience opportunities.

 

A scholarship of up to $5,000 per teacher, provided by the MountainOne Fund, is an impactful incentive to have these teachers enroll in a graduate program at MCLA to complete their licensure. The goal is to provide eight teachers with scholarships over the next two years. So far, six educators have been awarded funds ranging from $1,200 to $5,000 per person based on course load needs.