PROVIDENCE, RI - U.S. Senator Jack Reed today announced seven local nonprofit organizations are the beneficiaries of over $1.48 million in federal AmeriCorps grants.

The AmeriCorps grants are the result of the 2012 AmeriCorps State and National funding competition and advance the priorities of the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act and the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).  They will help support 120 AmeriCorps members across Rhode Island as they provide services to youth and families in need and help disadvantaged students. 

“AmeriCorps is a great federal investment that is making a real difference in communities throughout Rhode Island.  These competitive grants will help more AmeriCorps members reach people in need and strengthen our communities,” said Reed, a member of the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees AmeriCorps funding and a strong supporter of national service.  Last year Reed helped stave off efforts to end funding for AmeriCorps.

The seven AmeriCorps grants will be administered through Serve Rhode Island, the state's commission for national service. 

Bernie Beaudreau, the commission's Executive Director, expressed his appreciation of CNCS' decision: "We are very proud of the work of all our AmeriCorps teams that won nationally competitive funds.  We are particularly pleased that first time winner Connecting for Children and Families (CCF) in Woonsocket was awarded these funds.  CCF is an excellent program designed to improve reading and math levels of 225 elementary school students in an area of the state that has been generally underserved."

CCF's Executive Director, Terese Curtin, expressed her enthusiasm about the program: “With our new partnership with Serve RI and the Generations of Learning AmeriCorps Project, CCF will assist our youngest students in gaining the strong educational foundation they need to succeed in life.  CCF has always promoted high-quality education as the best road out of poverty, and this exciting new initiative will transform the lives of Woonsocket inner-city children.”

AmeriCorps, which is administered by CNCS, engages 80,000 Americans each year in intensive, results-driven service through more than 14,000 organizations across the country.  Last year, AmeriCorps members mobilized 3.4 million community volunteers nationwide, and tutored, mentored or served more than 3.5 million disadvantaged youth.  Interested individuals can learn about available opportunities and apply online by visiting AmeriCorps.gov.

Organizations who won competitive AmeriCorps grants this year include:

Connecting for Children and Families, Inc. will receive $106,400 for 8 AmeriCorps member positions.  These AmeriCorps members ages 55 and older will tutor students struggling in reading and math, as well as coordinate after-school tutoring and academic enrichment programs that reinforce classroom instruction.  The members will also tutor students during vacation weeks and summer to address the incidence of “learning slide.”

Institute for the Study and Practice of Nonviolence will receive $212,800 for 16 AmeriCorps member positions.  These AmeriCorps members will address chronic crime and violence by supporting nonviolence intervention, training and recovery methods for youth and families in extremely high need schools and communities prone to violence.

Inspiring Minds will receive $133,000 for 10 AmeriCorps member positions.  These AmeriCorps members will tutor K-5th grade students in low performing elementary schools. Members will also recruit and support volunteer tutors.

The Providence Plan will receive $465,500 for 35 AmeriCorps member positions.  These AmeriCorps members will serve in literacy and school-readiness programs for underserved preschoolers as well as conduct developmental health screenings.

Save the Bay will receive $212,800 for 16 AmeriCorps member positions.  These AmeriCorps members will provide 12 weeks of hands-on environmental education programming to third grade students, plus provide after-school and summer camp environmental education programs and recruit and support volunteers through their work at 4 nonprofit organizations to increase school attendance, increase science proficiency, and increase students’ environmental literacy in grade k -12 in urban cities of Central Falls, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, West Warwick, and Woonsocket.

Providence Children’s Museum will receive $170,910 for 16 AmeriCorps member positions to provide STEM and math enrichment activities for elementary aged children and school readiness activities for children enrolled in head start to increase academic success and school readiness among low-income children in Providence, Pawtucket, and Central Falls.

The College Advising Corps (CAC) at Brown University will receive $187,727 for 22 AmeriCorps member positions to work with students at 11 high poverty schools in Rhode Island.  The in-school advisors go into local schools and provide college advising to help increase the number of urban, low-income, and first-generation students entering & completing higher education.

Serve Rhode Island is the state volunteer center and commission for national and community service, located at 655 Broad St., Ste. 202, Providence, RI 02907. Contact Serve Rhode Island today; call (401) 331-2298 or e-mail volunteer@serverhodeisland.org.