Close your eyes and think about an adult in your life who helped you become the person you are today, members of the Scarborough Board of Education were asked.

From their seats in the council chambers, members raised their hands indicating that they could remember teachers, coaches and mentors who made a difference.

That exercise was part of a presentation by Dave Perron, director of program development for Jobs for Maine’s Graduates, a nonprofit organization based in Farmingdale that helps high school and middle-school students develop skills and achieve their personal potential. At a meeting on Thursday, Perrin told the board that for more than 2,500 Maine students, the program serves the same role as the adult who cared.

The high school is looking into implementing the program into next year’s curriculum as an elective course, according to Patricia Conant, school principal. Conant said in hearing about the program and discussing it with Superintendent David Doyle, names of students who could benefit from it immediately popped into her head.

“There is a student population that this would serve very, very well,” she said.

There are different ways in which Jobs for Maine Graduates can operate at a school. It can be a four-year program for all grades at the high school or it can be a one-year program for only juniors and seniors, among other options.

Conant said those details have not yet been worked out. First, the school needs to come up with $45,000 to pay for the program. According to Perron, one-third of the money has already been raised and a contribution from Hannaford supermarkets may be on its way.

The cost covers the salary of a career specialist, who helps students acquire personal, leadership and communication skills, which will help them attain jobs and be successful at them. The program also follows up with students for a year after they graduate, whether they go on to higher education or enter the work force right away.

According to Perron, 96 percent of students who go through the program graduate from high school and almost two-thirds improve their grade point average while they are in the program. But Perron said the benefits reach beyond the students themselves. By getting successful graduates to come back and work in Maine, the program benefits the state as a whole.

“Our students indeed stay in Maine,” Perron said. “We have an impact on the economy of the state.”