Bonding on campus

“There’s definitely tons of support for us here,’’ said Lapierre, of Springfield, a sophomore liberal arts major and mother of 3-year-old Zavier. “It’s super helpful.’’

The single parents and their kids live in apartments in a wing of a dormitory built in 2005. Two moms and their children share each apartment. Each person has his or her own bedroom, and they share a bathroom, additional vanity sinks, a kitchen, and a living area. The dorm also has a large playroom for the children. The parents are allowed to stay in the dorm during the summer, whether they are taking classes or working off campus.

“It provides a stable living environment,’’ said Barbara Siergiewicz, coordinator of Keys to Degrees.

The program provides financial aid, scholarships, and grants. It also offers workshops on parenting issues and life skills such as managing money. And there is a baby-sitting cooperative among the parents.

The big plus: The parents have the opportunity to attend college for four years and earn a bachelor’s degree.

“We know the statistics are pretty grim as far as single parents getting out of the poverty level,’’ said Siergiewicz. “This program gives them a future.’’

She said the children also benefit from being together and having access to quality day care.

“No other comprehensive program like ours exists in Massachusetts that I know of,’’ she said.

The program was created by Richard E. Wylie, president of Endicott since 1987. He said the idea was the result of talking with the family of a young woman visiting the college in 1993.

“The father said to me, ‘I don’t know why my daughter is interviewing here. She’s going to have a baby and I’m not going to take care of the child,’ ’’ Wylie recalled. “I felt frustrated.’’

Shortly afterward, Keys for Degrees was in place - and that young woman was on the way to her degree. Now, Endicott is helping other colleges across the country replicate the program.