MaineBusiness.com

Governor John Baldacci spoke to students enrolled in the Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) program at Portland High School Tuesday evening. The Governor was the keynote speaker at the school’s 14th Annual JMG Initiation and Installation (I&I) ceremony. Each JMG program holds an I&I ceremony in the fall to celebrate the students’ commitment to the program, their education, and their futures.

JMG is a statewide nonprofit organization that works within Maine schools to help students graduate from high school and reach their potential. Governor Baldacci says, “JMG gives Maine students a head start toward their future. Students come out of this program more focused, with higher self-esteem and more confidence. Not only are these students graduating from high school at a very high rate, but they are also continuing their education through college, apprenticeship programs, certification programs, and on-the-job training. JMG is strengthening Maine’s workforce one student at a time.”

In front of families, friends and school staff, more than 50 JMG students from grades 9-12 were sworn in as members of JMG’s Career Association. The Career Association is run by the students and focuses on leadership development and community service learning. Every year, JMG students provide a minimum of 20,000 hours of community service to local food pantries, animal shelters, homeless shelters, and other charities.

Dora Gomez, a Portland High School and JMG alumna, shared the podium with the Governor. Ms. Gomez has an associate’s degree in Early Childhood and works for the Catherine Morrell Day Nursery in Portland. Ms. Gomez says, “I never imagined that I would continue my education beyond high school, but here I am with an associate’s degree and a job I love. And that’s what JMG does. It sparks your imagination, and inspires you to believe in yourself and what you can do.”
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Jobs for Maine’s Graduates (JMG) is a statewide, private nonprofit organization that provides middle and high school students with the skills they need to graduate from high school prepared for success in continued education and the workforce. JMG serves 4,000 students in 57 schools throughout Maine.
For more information about JMG or the Portland High School I&I ceremony, contact Lisa Gardner, JMG Communications Manager at 441-8411(c), or lgardner@jmg.org