University News
WIU-QC Receives AmeriCorps Funding for Literacy and After-school Programs; Applications Open
August 18, 2017
MOLINE, IL - - Western Illinois University-Quad Cities has received a grant of $211,791 to continue its AmericCorps early-childhood and after-school programs for 2017-2018.
The federal community service grant from the Serve Illinois Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service, or "Serve Illinois," provides a continuation of WIU's AmeriCorps Early Childhood Literacy Project, an initiative in partnership with WQPT Public Television to improve literacy skills in the classroom.
As part of the existing program, AmeriCorps members work with classroom teachers at Esperanza Center and Villa Montessori in Moline. According to Scott Brouette, assistant director for WIU-QC Student Services, pre-and-post-test results have shown consistent increases in early childhood literacy throughout the four years of the program. "This includes a 50 percent increase in the 2015-2016 service year," he said.
The funding will also assist in the initiative's expansion into after-school programs in Quad Cities locations such as the Martin Luther King Jr Community Center and Broadway Church in Rock Island; and the Boys and Girls Club of the Mississippi Valley, Butterworth Educational Center, Two Rivers YMCA, and Spring Forward Learning Center in Moline.
"This is a wonderful opportunity for WIU-QC students to give back to their community, while helping children gain vital skills important for lifelong learning and future success," Brouette said.
AmeriCorps Members dedicate up to one year to help communities meet unmet economic, education, health, public safety, disaster preparedness, veteran services, and environmental needs, and receive a stipend and education award.
The grant funds allow for the placement of new AmeriCorps members to serve in the after-school programs providing one-on-one assistance with reading and math, as well as assisting classroom teachers in implementing WQPT's "Ready to Learn" program and other techniques to enhance and expand literacy for young children.
To apply, visit wiu.edu/qc/americorps/pdfs/AmeriCorpsApplication.pdf, or for more information, contact Brouette s-brouette@wiu.edu or (309)762-9080 ext. 62305.
Posted By: Alison McGaughey (AR-McGaughey@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing
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