Project Grant 17VSSSC004

SC THRIVE IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION WORKING TO ACHIEVE STABILIZED, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE STATE. OUR MISSION IS TO LEAD SOUTH CAROLINIANS TO STABILITY BY PROVIDING INNOVATIVE AND EFFICIENT ACCESS TO QUALITY OF LIFE RESOURCES. SIMILARLY, OUR PARTNER FOR THIS PROPOSED PROJECT, JEFFERSON AWARDS FOUNDATION (JAF), WAS FOUNDED WITH A MISSION TO BUILD A CULTURE OF SERVICE ACROSS THE COUNTRY. JAF FOCUSES SPECIFICALLY ON YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, EXECUTING THIS MISSION TO CULTIVATE OUR COUNTRY'S NEXT GENERATION OF SERVANT LEADERS AND HELPING RESIDENTS HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA. SC THRIVE'S PROPOSED VISTA PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THREE OF THIS YEAR'S CNCS PRIORITIES: ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY, EDUCATION, AND HEALTHY FUTURES. THE VISTA PROJECT WILL SEEK TO DEVELOP A COMMUNITY RESOURCE MOBILE APP; IDENTIFY AND ENHANCE TRAINING AND EDUCATION OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSIST LOW-INCOME RESIDENTS; USE RESEARCH-BASED SERVICE-LEARNING AS A VEHICLE TO EMPOWER STUDENTS TO UNDERSTAND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY ISSUES; AND EMPOWER THESE STUDENTS TO EMPLOY SERVICE-LEARNING ACTIVITIES, PROMOTING THRIVING COMMUNITIES WHILE BUILDING LEADERSHIP AND LIFE SKILLS FOR POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS. THE PROJECT EXPECTS TO BENEFIT STUDENTS, LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES, AND POPULATIONS LOOKING TO IDENTIFY STABILIZING RESOURCES THROUGH BOTH TRADITIONAL AND INNOVATIVE MEANS. WE ARE REQUESTING 4 VISTA MEMBERS IN YEAR ONE FOR PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT OF THIS ANTI-POVERTY PROJECT TO PERFORM ACTIVITIES SUCH AS RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND DISSEMINATION, MARKETING AND BRAND AWARENESS PLANNING, INCREASING TRAINING PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS, ESTABLISHING EVALUATION TOOLS FOR MEASURING STUDENT BEHAVIOR CHANGE. FOR YEAR TWO WE ARE REQUESTING SIX VISTA MEMBERS TO CONDUCT IMPLEMENTATION AND SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS FOR THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT.