The NEOA Navigator

An Update From The States

Volume 1 | Edition 2 | 2.20.2025

MEOA celebrated its 40th Annual Conference this past October in the heart of Worcester, MA. Our theme was “Embracing Unity: Celebrating Diversities Tapestry” – and we had an extraordinary turnout of over 100 conference attendees at the beautiful Hilton Garden Inn. In addition to 10 inspiring workshops offered, four students from BU, NECC, and Hampshire College were awarded MEOA scholarships. We also awarded the inaugural Joan Becker Award, named after the first MEOA President, to two exceptional posthumous recipients: Robert Blaney and Adaline Mirabel. Joan Becker and the families of recipients were on site for the special occasion.  

Additionally, MEOA is hard at work preparing for COE Policy Seminar. State Liaison Naomi Brown-Jones and President Dr. Kevin Linton will lead a large state delegation next month. Scholarships have been awarded to help TRIO/GEAR-UP alumni and professionals attend and advocate for our programs, and many colleagues across the state also plan to attend in March. We are looking forward to this most important Policy Seminar yet!  

Keene State Aspire (SSS) has launched weekly Study Nights and partnered with Academic Advising to support Fresh Start students. They’re also planning a graduate school trip for Spring Break.

Keene State Upward Bound held a Senior Workshop for FAFSA completion and is preparing for Spring academic workshops and their Summer Residential Program.

Plymouth State SSS kicked off tutoring and provides weekly programming for 180 students.

Saint Anselm College TRIO Scholars is excited to welcome its 4th class during Admitted Student Open Houses in February.

UNH Educational Talent Search is wrapping up 6th-grade recruitment and planning a TRIO Day event, college visits, and job site tours.

UNH McNair Scholars recently featured two students, Caleb Marrero and James Brackett, in UNH Today.

UNH TRIO Scholars launched "Fun, Focus, and Food Fridays," offering study time, fun activities, and meals with support from Waysmeet Cornucopia Food Pantry.

UNH Upward Bound welcomed new Associate Director Sarah Holloway.

Breakthrough Manchester is looking for 2025 Teaching Fellows to support underserved students and develop future educators.

The Maine Educational Opportunity Association’s (MEEOA) annual conference took place in early January, centered around the theme Going the Distance for Students in Maine. The event kicked off with a powerful pre-conference session, Compassion Fatigue and Resilience Strategies: Vicarious Trauma 101, led by Maine Youth Thriving. Our keynote speaker, Randy Schroeder, delivered an inspiring address, motivating attendees to step into leadership roles at both the state and regional levels.

A standout tradition of the conference is always our Alumni Banquet, where we celebrate the accomplishments of outstanding alumni. This year, we were proud to recognize four exceptional individuals: Matthew Theriault and Matthew Leavitt as Achievers, and Joy Harrington and Brad Burden as Rising Stars.

Rhode Island is putting together a presentation about its history within NEOA and the value of membership, focusing on strategic outreach initiatives to showcase the association's expertise, highlight member success stories, and emphasize the benefits of being part of NEOA. In addition, we are planning a state conference addressing the potential impact of the recent presidential election, which will cover topics such as civic engagement, TRIO history, and include guest speakers from COE/TRIO. The goal is to cultivate leadership in Rhode Island through the Association’s activities.

Efforts are underway to finalize the paperwork with the state of Rhode Island, after which state dues will be paid. NEOA is also encouraging RIEOA members to join NEOA and participate in key activities such as TRIO Day and the Annual Conference. This work builds on recent COE meetings about advocating for EOP participants, including planning for attendance at the Policy Seminar and engaging alumni in these efforts.

Big news for VEOP! Michele met with Carolyn Weir of the McClure Foundation, a major philanthropic supporter in Vermont, who was eager to learn more about VEOP’s statewide impact. While familiar with individual TRIO programs, she wasn’t aware of VEOP as an umbrella organization. After discussing our mission, she expressed interest in forming a formal connection and requested key details such as our 501(c)(3) status, EIN, and budget. If this partnership moves forward, VEOP could receive $5,000 over three years to support program expenses like Policy Seminar and conferences.

In other updates, Vermont has revamped its Listserv to improve communication with VEOP members, is finalizing its delegation for the TRIO Policy Seminar in March (led by Rick Williams), and is applying for the State Initiative Grant to support Vermont TRIO Day. Exciting developments ahead—stay tuned!

CAEOP hosted its 37th Annual Conference at the Meriden Public Library in December! The year’s theme was "Roots of Resilience," and we were proud to have 51 registered attendees—all 51 of whom participated. This was also the first time the conference was held in a community space, marking an exciting step in making our events more accessible and integrated with the local community.

Additionally, Connecticut TRiO programs are currently running our TRiO CAP Campaign, where students across the state are decorating graduation caps and sharing personal reflections on what TRiO has meant to them. These caps will be delivered to policymakers during the Policy Seminar, helping to amplify student voices and demonstrate the impact of TRiO programs.

The New England Educational Opportunity Association (NEOA) is pleased to announce the availability of State Initiative Grant funds to support activities that enhance state advocacy efforts for TRIO and other educational opportunity programs. These funds are designed to help states develop effective strategies to influence state policy, strengthen relationships with legislators, and increase recognition and support for TRIO programs.

This year, priority will be given to initiatives that build relationships with members of Congress and expand TRIO’s presence in new arenas.

State Initiative Goals:

NEOA identifies seven key objectives for State Initiative projects:

✔ Strengthening relationships with state legislators, business leaders, and foundation executives

✔ Establishing local and statewide TRIO alumni associations

✔ Building stronger state TRIO/EOP Associations

✔ Influencing state and local appropriations for higher education

✔ Identifying new revenue sources for TRIO programs

✔ Collaborating with similar organizations to enhance advocacy efforts

✔ Showcasing TRIO’s impact as a strong and effective investment

Funding Details:

• Grants typically provide up to $500 per activity, though larger requests will be considered based on project scope.
• Funds may cover event costs, advocacy efforts, food, and transportation.
• Funding is awarded on a rolling basis until the NEOA budget year ends on August 31, 2025.
• Proposals for summer activities must be submitted by August 1, 2025.
• Funds are typically provided on a reimbursement basis with receipts submitted to the NEOA Treasurer and Advocacy Chair.

Get Involved!

We encourage state associations and individual projects to take advantage of this funding opportunity to further advocacy efforts. For more information or to submit a proposal, contact Sarah Morrell, NEOA Advocacy Chair, at sarah.morrell@umb.edu.

Let’s continue working together to amplify the voice of TRIO and educational opportunity programs across New England!

So... What Do You Think?

Have questions, comments, concerns, or ideas for the newsletter? Is there something you'd love to see featured? We want to hear from YOU! Feel free to reach out and share your input.

NEOA Public Relations Co-Chair Bryan - blandgren@suffolk.edu

NEOA Public Relations Co-Chair Linda - shilcorm88@gmail.com