AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Receives Federal, State Funding

DUBUQUE, Iowa – The AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Program, sponsored by the City of Dubuque, has been approved to receive $475,453 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 $89,995 in state AmeriCorps funding from Volunteer Iowa for a smaller grant focused on engaging teenage youth in after-school and summer programs.

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, as well as teen programming through year-long afterschool programs and with mentoring opportunities. 

The federally funded grant will continue to support Dubuque’s Campaign for Grade-Level Reading with a total of 68 AmeriCorps members through-out FY 2018-2019. During the 2019-2020 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 2020 summer, 30 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; and the Dubuque Community School District. 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!

The formula-funded grant is a continued effort to support Teen Mentoring programs through Leisure Services, the Multicultural Family Center, Carnegie-Stout Public Library and Mentor Dubuque, expanding teen programs from summer-only into year-around programming. This grant will provide 4 year-long AmeriCorps positions in the following capacities: 1 full-time (1700 hour) and 1 half-time (900 hour) positions with Mentor Dubuque, and 2 three-quarter-time (1200 hour) positions- one with the Multicultural Family Center and one with Carnegie-Stout Public Library. The grant will also provide 4 minimum-time (300 hour) positions that will support the Multicultural Family Center’s summer STEP program. These positions will work together to support teens to develop connections to their community through teen-focused programs that will provide structured and unstructured mentoring, community and health education, equity engagement and workforce development opportunities.

Interested in making our community better?  Join AmeriCorps today!  We’re now recruiting for the 2019-2020 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 563-690-6171 or hsatterl@cityofdubuque.org. Online applications can be found at www.CityofDubuque.org/employment. 

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