What is the FSET/PACE program and what does it do? The program helps out MATC students in need of Food Share, child care, transportation, and academic support. They have recently hired two new members, Micaela Erickson and Michael Timm, educational assistants atMATC.
The main office for the FSET/PACE program is in Room T140. The FSET (Food Share Employment Training) is a government grant that the PACE program is based on. It helps students who have a Food Share case who need assistance. Another component is that they offer UPASS applications for pre-college students in the program. Pre-college students who only take less than six credits for a semester are also eligible for a UPASS. One final component the program provides is child care assistance. Any student who needs help taking care of their children, the FSET/PACE program can help. If a student is interested in participating in the program, they sign up in Room T140 and are provided the support they need.
Timm, who is also a part-time instructor, had joined through MATC’s job board and has been in the program for two months. Erickson has been in the program for four months, she has been an employee of MATC since 2009 and came in through the Health and Science program. Both Erickson and Timm are currently stationed on the sixth floor of Foundation Hall in the Downtown Campus. They both joined to bring academic support to students in need. “If you have something you need help solving that affects your employment and your education here at MATC, we want to try to support you in finding a solution,” said Erickson.
By working with the FSET/PACE program, Erickson and Timm hope to help more students overcome their challenges and prepare them for employment. “Ultimately our goal is student success, student retention and completing their academic and employment goals,” said Timm. “We’re just here to try to help navigate that process and if we can, in a small way, eliminate some barriers that are present to that success then that’s what we attempt to do.” They also hope that they can make the program become more relevant in the eyes of students. “We would like more participants and we want to know what they need,” said Erickson. The more feedback they get from students, the more visibility the program gets.
The FSET/PACE program is here and willing to help students who need it most. “A lot of students familiar with the program understand that transportation assistance and child care assistance is available,” said Timm. “But many don’t necessarily know about the academic support aspect of it all, which is what we’d like to provide.”
Both Timm and Erickson would like to point out that the program is here to help and they would love to help in any way possible. They would like more feedback and support as the program continues. It is one resource that can be beneficial for students.