OVERVIEW OF REQUIREMENTS
Minimum number of credits required to earn certificate: 15
Minimum Cumulative GPA required to earn certificate: None
Other requirements: Students must satisfy the UMM residency requirement for certificate programs, taking at least 12 credit hours through UMM.
This five-course, 15-credit certificate program in Family Studies is designed to give students introductory level core curriculum credits with a focus on parenting and strengthening families. This curriculum helps students assume the role of change agents for their children, families, and communities as well as prepares them for additional coursework that transfers into future degree programs. This certificate is part of a larger innovative post-secondary program, Family Futures Downeast (FFD) for Washington County parents. The program is dedicated to assisting families to break the cycle of poverty through whole-family education. Parents with children apply for free to this cohort program that has been collaboratively designed with an emphasis on removing barriers that make it difficult for parents to transition into college and find success.
Members of University of Maine at Machias, Washington County Community College, and the Community Caring Collaborative developed curriculum and support structures that allow parents to achieve in a post-secondary setting while gaining skills and knowledge in order to change outcomes for themselves and their children. This structure provides a rich and rewarding educational experience in which students receive all possible opportunities to flourish. Individual students receive academic, financial, and social supports for navigating the college setting, which for many will be new and challenging terrain.
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