Old Rochester High School teachers hope students at risk of dropping out will instead lace-up running shoes courtesy of a new grant.

Faculty member Megan Hall and special education teacher Sheilah Sullivan were awarded $1,200 to start the “Dreamfar High School Marathon” program.

The grant was from the Old Rochester Tri-Town Education Foundation’s Lighthouse Fund. The fund is designed to bolster education opportunities in tri-town schools.

Started by a special education teacher at Newton South High School, the program targets students struggling to make social connections through weekly runs.

Hall said last year she shared her concern about some students with Sullivan.

“The ones who struggled were students who did not have a connection to the school, the staff or the students,” Hall said. “These students were also at the highest risk of failing classes and dropping out.”

The program started with nine students and several teachers and community mentors.

Since then, the program has earned nonprofit status and expanded to include more than 100 students at six schools in the Boston area.

Hall said Dartmouth, Fairhaven and New Bedford High Schools have also started training for “Dreamfar.” Those students start training in November to compete in the Providence Marathon set for May.

Bringing Old Rochester students together with peers and community mentors through running should set them up for success.

“This program does not target athletes. It is meant for at-risk students who do not feel that they belong anywhere else,” Hall said.

“There will be time set aside for academic mentoring, as well as physical training.”

She students aren’t required to have previous experience running and training will start slow.

“It is a program that some of our students desperately need,” Hall said.

The money will be used to purchase running shoes, pay for entry fees and gasoline for transportation.