Project START Eligibility

Anyone, who is currently pursuing an Associate's degree or Certificate at CCBC Essex; plans to earn a Bachelor's degree in the future; and meets at least one of the eligibility criteria below, may apply.
  • First generation: Neither of the student's parents has earned a Bachelor's degree from a four-year college or university.
  • Income eligible: The student is receiving, or is eligible to receive, a Pell grant, SEOG, or other student financial assistance or meets income requirements as determined by the Director of Project Start.
  • Disabled: The student has documented disability on file with the Office of Special Services.

Additional qualifications
  • Eligible students will go through an interview process with a Project START counselor where additional criteria including academic history, test scores, and current academic goals will be discussed and evaluated on a case by case basis. 

Brochures and applications are available in the Project START area in the Student Services Center on the Essex campus.

Project START Offerings

Academic Skills Development

Critical Thinking Workshop Series:

I. The reading process and cracking the code
II. Identifying and filtering essential information and non-essential information
III. Note-taking from lectures, presentations, texts and note-making for daily review and test preparation
IV. Mind-mapping basic training for note-making
V - VIII. Focus on arguments, evaluation, errors in critical thinking, critical reasoning and identifying fallacies
  • 'In Other Words' (Vocabulary development to improve your reading, writing and speaking.)
  • Close Encounters (Advanced critical thinking, reading, writing and discussion practice.)
  • Learning Journey: Exploring how our brains work, identifying modalities and styles of learning, and tips for applying learning strategies appropriate to learning style.
  • Learning and Study Strategies for Special Topics: (math, biology, sociology, or foreign languages, etc.)
  • Beyond Critical Thinking (Learn the importance of perception and patterns in the thinking process.)
  • Monitored professional tutoring support for English and Math.
  • Monitored peer tutoring for other courses.

Building Relationships

  • Negotiating and Navigating the Learning Environment Forums (N & N): Informal discussions on a variety of topics between faculty and staff which provides valuable out-of-class interaction and connections.
  • Living Leaders: Monthly forums that nurture the development of relational leadership skills and acceptance of role responsibility.

Life Skills: The Tools for Success

  • Setting goals
  • Avoiding procrastination
  • Managing stress and achieving relaxation
  • Managing your time

Academic Advising and Support

  • Selecting courses based upon assessment placement results in English and math
  • Identifying courses toward the fulfillment of an Associate's degree and transfer
  • Clarifying academic goals
  • Selecting a major course of study
  • Recovering from academic probation
  • Withdrawing from classes
  • Transfer information form ARTSYS (web-based college transfer information system)
  • Campus visits to four-year colleges and universities

Financial, Advising and Support

  • Financial aid advising for transfer
  • Assistance in completing financial aid and scholarship forms
  • Additional financial Grant Aid while participating in Project START (restricted to Pell Grant recipients)

Career Exploration

  • Utilizing the Career Center
  • Career decision-making

Personal Counseling

Regularly scheduled counseling sessions to address personal issues that are barriers to academic achievement or success.

Professional Tutoring

  • Monitored professional tutoring support for English, Reading, Math and Biology.
  • Referral to college-wide tutoring services for other courses.