24° and Overcast
By Mark Laurrie
Niagara Falls Schools Superintendent
As we enter February, we know that spring will soon arrive. It has been a very cold, snowy winter, but with longer, brighter days ahead, I hope to share much-needed sunshine and excitement with our Niagara Falls students and families through this article.
Compounding on the incredible success of our Say Yes Niagara Falls Saturday Academies, we are very close to launching our paid apprenticeships for Niagara Falls High School students. These apprenticeships will expand and enhance our Post-Secondary Pathways programs with a huge additional component -- the opportunity for students to earn while they learn in their chosen career pathway program. This next-level initiative will support students by enabling them to earn money while applying the skills and knowledge they learned in high school. This application of talent will ultimately strengthen our workforce, give students the ability to apply their schooling in a field they plan to pursue, and help them begin to organize their personal financial future by saving for the future. This is real education and learning in action.
If the kickoff of our paid apprenticeships isn’t enough, please look for major gift announcements in February and March regarding our last-dollar scholarship program. You will soon hear about highly exciting and generous financial gifts to our Say Yes Niagara Falls Scholarship Endowment fund held at the Community Foundation. Our district owes a great debt of gratitude to the Niagara Area Foundation, not only for a magnanimous financial gift but also for their tireless work in securing additional large-scale contributions and donations.
Every dollar raised privately will be placed in a secure, high-yield endowment, which will provide two- and four-year tuition to any Niagara Falls High School graduate who plans to attend a SUNY, CUNY, or one of the 106 Say Yes Niagara Falls colleges and universities. These are last-dollar tuition payments made to all participating institutions of higher education. As we continue fundraising, students in the graduating class of 2027 may receive partial scholarships. Just ponder that for a moment. Your child will ultimately have the opportunity to attend college or university tuition-free. There are some qualifying criteria, such as how long you have been in our district, but this unique opportunity will be a difference-maker for our families and students, setting them on a path to an unlimited future.
Say Yes Niagara Falls Saturday Academies will continue through May. Earn while you learn, meaningful apprenticeships, and, ultimately, last-dollar scholarships certainly make this long, dark winter feel much brighter.
