Project Grant 18SFPWY001

ACTION RESOURCES INTERNATIONAL (ARI) WILL CONTINUE TO SERVE AS THE SPONSORING ORGANIZATION FOR FOSTER GRANDPARENTS OF THE WYOMING ROCKIES WHICH IS CURRENTLY OPERATES IN SEVEN WYOMING COUNTIES COVERING AN AREA OF JUST UNDER 36,OOO SQUARE MILES: ALBANY, CARBON, SWEETWATER, UINTA, LINCOLN, SHERIDAN AND JOHNSON. FOCUS WILL CONTINUE IN THE AREA OF COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING ACTIVITIES OF K-12 SUCCESS AND SCHOOL READINESS, WITH A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF COMPLEMENTARY ACTIVITIES IN CHILD SAFETY, WELFARE AND HEALTH. ARI WILL AGAIN PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE SUPPORT AND PROGRAM MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT INCLUDING A COMMUNITY LED ADVISORY COUNCIL; A HOME BASE, OFFICE SPACE AND MATERIALS SUPPORT; AND FISCAL, PERSONNEL AND PROGRAMMATIC RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM. AN ESTIMATED 42 FGP VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE TUTORING AND MENTORING FOR PRE-READING ACTIVITIES AND SUPPORTING CHILDREN IN DAILY ASSIGNMENTS, ENDEAVORS AND TASKS, THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE SKILLS, APPROPRIATE BEHAVIORS AND POSITIVE SELF-ESTEEM, THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRE-LITERACY SKILLS FOR SCHOOL READINESS, AND TUTORING IN READING AND IN BASIC MATH CONCEPTS AND COMPUTATIONAL SKILLS. NOT ADJUSTING FOR THE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN WORKPLANS WHO MOVED, IMPROVEMENT WAS MEASURED AT 92% IN YEARS 1 AND 2 OF THE PREVIOUS GRANT CYCLE. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS EDUCATION. AT THE END OF THE THREE-YEAR GRANT, THE FGP PROJECT WILL HAVE MEASURABLY CONTRIBUTED TO IMPROVED EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED CHILDREN, AND FOR CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL AND/OR EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $199,228 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY APPROXIMATELY $122,354 IN NON-FEDERAL FUNDS INCLUDING A STATE OF WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH GRANT, IN-KIND CONTRIBUTIONS, FUNDRAISING, AND GRANTEE SUPPORT. ARI IS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION INCORPORATED IN 1991 AND GRANTED FEDERAL 501(C)(3) TAX EXEMPT STATUS IN 1995, WITH THE OVERARCHING MISSION TO ERADICATE AND PREVENT CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE. IN CARRYING OUT THIS MISSION, THE ORGANIZATION SPONSORS AND CONDUCTS PROGRAMS TO HELP ACHIEVE OVERALL HEALTH, SAFETY AND SECURITY IN FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES THROUGH VARIOUS COOPERATIVE AND COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS THAT ARE ACTION ORIENTED, COMMUNITY BASED AND DRIVEN BY INDIVIDUALS WHOSE EXPERTISE IS PRIMARILY INFORMED BY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE PROBLEMS BEING ADDRESSED, BACKED BY AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOCIAL CONTEXT IN WHICH THAT EXPERIENCE WAS CREATED. ARI ORIGINATED AS THE INTERNATIONAL NGO "LOOKING UP," WHICH WAS BASED IN MAINE FROM 1983 -- 1991, PROVIDING EDUCATION AND INDIVIDUAL VICTIM AND SURVIVOR SERVICES TO OVER 10,000 INDIVIDUALS AND SERVICE PROVIDING ORGANIZATIONS A YEAR THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, CANADA AND IN NINE ADDITIONAL COUNTRIES. ARI EVOLVED FROM THAT WORK, DEVELOPING A BROADER VISION THAT INCLUDES SOCIAL CHANGE EFFORTS ADDRESSING THE PROBLEM OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND OTHER FORMS OF SEXUAL VIOLENCE THROUGH A LONG TERM, MULTI-FACETED DEDICATION TO COMMUNITY STRENGTHENING FOR SECURITY, HEALTH, SAFETY AND PREVENTION OF VIOLENCE IN DIVERSE COMMUNITY SETTINGS.