AUGUSTA — New Ventures Maine Executive Director Janet Smith has announced a call for applications for the Gilda E. Nardone Scholarship. Awards of up to $1,000 each will be given to help defray the cost of college tuition and other education expenses for the 2026-27 academic year. For more information and to apply, visit the NVME website.
The GEN Endowed Scholarship Fund was established in 2019 to honor the legacy of long-time NVME Executive Director Gilda E. Nardone and her commitment to education access and success for adult learners.
Savannah Rice, a 2025 awardee, said of the scholarship’s impact, “I work several jobs and serve as a graduate assistant, but the cost of attending school has been difficult to manage. I am so thankful to have found this scholarship and to have taken an applicable class, My Money Works, through New Ventures Maine.” Rice’s story is online.
The scholarship committee, made up of NVME Advisory Council members, will accept applications up until the deadline of Friday, Feb. 20.
Gifts to the fund ensure that graduates of NVME’s career, financial and business development programs will receive financial and other support services to attend college and complete their degrees in Maine at any University of Maine System location, any Maine Community College or the University of New England. To donate to the fund, visit the NVME secure giving portal online at bit.ly/NVMEGiving.
New Ventures Maine is a statewide education and economic development program administered through the University of Maine at Augusta/University of Maine System. The mission of NVME is to help Maine people succeed in the changing economy and achieve economic security for themselves and their families. NVME achieves its mission by providing free classes and individual coaching in planning careers, starting businesses and managing money.