Funds available for new School Turnaround AmeriCorps program
Grant
designed to help low-performing schools across Illinois
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[March 18, 2013]
SPRINGFIELD -- Last week the
Serve Illinois Commission announced a new federal grant program to
assist struggling schools across the state. The School Turnaround
AmeriCorps program will provide funding to strengthen a number of
Illinois' lowest-performing schools.
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"AmeriCorps is an innovative opportunity for people to apply their
time and talents toward high impact outcomes for their communities,"
said Brandon Bodor, executive director of the Serve Illinois
Commission. "Illinois' vision is to remain a leader in volunteerism
and service. AmeriCorps members across the state represent a
critical part of that vision." Serve Illinois is looking to
partner with community agencies and their local schools to support
the placement of dedicated networks of AmeriCorps members in
persistently underachieving schools across the state. This
innovative approach seeks to increase student academic achievement,
attendance and high school graduation rates, and college and career
readiness in those schools.
The new School Turnaround AmeriCorps program is a collaborative
effort between the Serve Illinois Commission, the Corporation for
National and Community Service, and the United States Department of
Education.
The Serve Illinois Commission, part of the Illinois Department of
Human Services, administers the AmeriCorps state programs in
Illinois and is charged with enhancing and supporting community
volunteerism. AmeriCorps members in Illinois dedicate up to a year
to helping communities address unmet human service, education,
public safety or environmental needs. Serve Illinois currently
supports 29 AmeriCorps programs throughout the state.
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Public or private nonprofit organizations, including faith-based
and other community groups, schools or districts, institutions of
higher education, cities and counties, Indian tribes, and labor
organizations are eligible to apply for the School Turnaround grant
program, along with partnerships and consortia of these entities.
Information about the School Turnaround AmeriCorps initiative is
available at
www.serve.illinois.gov.
[Text from
Illinois
Department of Human Services
file received from
the
Illinois Office of
Communication and Information]
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