AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Receives Federal, State Funding for FY 2018-2019

CONTACT:
Heather Satterly
AmeriCorps Director
City of Dubuque
563-584-8644
heather.satterly@clarke.edu

July 10, 2018 -- For Immediate Release

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Program, sponsored by the City of Dubuque, has been approved to receive $516,514 in federal AmeriCorps funding from Volunteer Iowa and the Corporation for National and Community Service to support Dubuque’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading. Additionally, AmeriCorps Partners in Learning was approved for state AmeriCorps funding from Volunteer Iowa for two smaller grants: $49,344 for a summer grant and $35,331 for a planning grant.

AmeriCorps is a national service program that engages Americans of all ages and backgrounds to meet critical needs of communities across the country.  Here in Dubuque, AmeriCorps Partners in Learning supports Dubuque’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading with school year and summer tutoring programs, teen programming through a summer mentoring program, and a new planning grant for program expansion into health, wellness, and nature programming.  

During the 2018-19 school year, 38 AmeriCorps members will tutor K-3rd grade struggling readers at the Dubuque Community School District elementary schools. Members are trained on specific reading interventions and work closely with the elementary schools to improve students’ reading scores from the fall to spring.  

During the 2019 summer, 40 AmeriCorps members will support summer programs.  Thirty AmeriCorps members will support summer learning programs including: St. Mark Youth Enrichment; Carnegie-Stout Public Library; City of Dubuque Leisure Services; Dubuque Dream Center, and the Dubuque Community School District. Ten AmeriCorps members will support teen mentoring programs through the Multicultural Family Center and the City’s Leisure Services Department. AmeriCorps members also support community-wide events like Make a Difference Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, Music in the Park, and many more!

During fiscal year 2018-2019, AmeriCorps Partners in Learning will be looking for ways to expand its outreach into new areas including: health, wellness, and nature programming. During the expansion process, program staff will meet with community agencies and work to develop new program opportunities to utilize AmeriCorps members within our community.

Interested in making our community better?  Join AmeriCorps today!  We’re now recruiting for the 2018-2019 school year.  Members must be 18 years of age or older and have a high school diploma. Members earn a living allowance and an education award.  Members who are 55 or older when they begin their service may transfer their education award to a child, grandchild, or foster child. 

Anyone interested in receiving more information or to learn about joining AmeriCorps, please contact Heather Satterly, AmeriCorps Director, at 563.584.8644 or heather.satterly@clarke.edu. Online applications can be found at www.CityofDubuque.org/employment. 

# # #

About AmeriCorps Partners in Learning
AmeriCorps Partners in Learning is sponsored by the City of Dubuque and is a grant recipient of Volunteer Iowa and the Corporation for National and Community Service. AmeriCorps Partners in Learning has been serving youth in the Dubuque community since 2000. The program has over 700 alumni and has provided over 440,000 hours of service to the Dubuque community. To learn more, visit CityofDubuque.org/AmeriCorps.

About Volunteer Iowa 
Volunteer Iowa and its partner agencies work with organizations and individuals on three main fronts. The first is to help agencies develop quality programs that use service as a strategy to fulfill their missions and address Iowa’s greatest areas of need. The second is to help engage Iowans in their communities by promoting service and expanding the volunteer base. Finally, the third area of work is to connect individuals with appropriate service opportunities by building the volunteer infrastructure. More information is available at volunteeriowa.org.

About the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS)
AmeriCorps is administered by the Corporation for National and Community Service, the federal agency for volunteering, service, and civic engagement. The agency engages millions of Americans in citizen service through its AmeriCorps and Senior Corps programs and leads the nation's volunteering and service efforts. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.