Project Grant 19SDAMA001

MISSION: GENERATIONS INCORPORATED (GI) IMPROVES THE LITERACY SKILLS OF YOUNG CHILDREN THROUGH GRADE 3 BY ENGAGING PROFESSIONALLY TRAINED OLDER ADULT VOLUNTEERS AS LITERACY COACHES IN OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS AND AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS. WE SERVE COMMUNITIES WHERE OPPORTUNITY GAPS EXIST TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE RESOURCES TO BECOME LITERACY PROFICIENT. WE ARE THE LEADING INTERGENERATIONAL LITERACY PROGRAM IN GREATER BOSTON, ENGAGING 240+ COMMUNITY OLDER ADULTS (ALL 50+ YEARS) AS HIGHLY TRAINED LITERACY COACHES TO PROVIDE TARGETED, HIGH-DOSAGE TUTORING TO OVER 1,500 STRUGGLING EARLY READERS ANNUALLY. WE ENVISION A DAY WHEN ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF ZIP CODE, ENTER THE FOURTH GRADE AS PROFICIENT READERS POISED FOR ACADEMIC SUCCESS, AND EMPLOY A UNIQUE INTERGENERATIONAL MODEL TO SOLVE THE COMMUNITY PROBLEM OF CHILDHOOD ILLITERACY. EACH YEAR, GI RECRUITS COMMUNITY OLDER ADULTS SEEKING MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND PROVIDES THE TRAINING NECESSARY TO SERVE AS LITERACY TUTORS IN THEIR ENCORE CAREERS. VOLUNTEERS DEDICATE 5-15 HOURS EACH WEEK TO SUPPORTING STUDENTS WHO ARE READING BELOW GRADE-LEVEL THROUGH STRUCTURED AND HIGHLY FOCUSED LITERACY SESSIONS. OUR OLDER ADULT VOLUNTEERS BENEFIT FROM ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT, ACTIVITY AND SOCIAL INTERACTION THROUGH THEIR SERVICE, AND STUDENTS SHOW STRONG LITERACY GAINS AND SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL GROWTH AS A RESULT OF PARTICIPATING IN OUR PROGRAMS OVER THE COURSE OF A SCHOOL YEAR. IN 2016, GI SUCCESSFULLY CONCLUDED A RIGOROUS, THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH SHARPENED THE FOCUS OF OUR PROGRAMS TO ALIGN WITH BOSTON AND REVERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS' CURRICULA, MEET SPECIFIC LITERACY NEEDS IDENTIFIED WITHIN OUR SERVICE COMMUNITIES, AND FORTIFY OUR VOLUNTEER TRAINING PRACTICES TO IMPROVE EFFICIENCY AND IMPACT OF PROGRAM DELIVERY. FOLLOWING THE SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF A STRATEGIC PLAN IN 2016, GI WAS ONE OF SEVEN ORGANIZATIONS NATIONWIDE AWARDED A HIGHLY COMPETITIVE SOCIAL INNOVATION FUND (SIF) SUB-GRANT THROUGH AARP FOUNDATION EXPERIENCE CORPS. THROUGH THE FOUR-YEAR SIF PROJECT, GI CONTINUED TO FINE-TUNE OUR PROGRAM MODEL WHILE EXPANDING TO SERVE SIX NEW PARTNER BOSTON AND REVERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN 2017, GI WAS SELECTED BY BOSTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS ONE OF 60 OPPORTUNITY PORTFOLIO PARTNERS IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL EQUITY ACROSS THE DISTRICT. TODAY, WE ARE THE ONLY ORGANIZATION COLLABORATING WITH THE BOSTON AND REVERE PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO PROVIDE INTENTIONAL, STRUCTURED, HIGH-DOSAGE LITERACY SUPPORT TO GREATER BOSTON'S YOUNGEST STUDENTS. IN FALL 2019, WE WILL LAUNCH A THREE-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH WILL LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR SIGNIFICANT PROGRAM GROWTH TO A NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT WITHIN THE GREATER BOSTON REGION WHILE CONTINUING TO DEEPEN OUR COMMITMENT WITHIN BOSTON AND REVERE, MASSACHUSETTS. AS A DATA-DRIVEN ORGANIZATION, WE CONTINUOUSLY SEEK EVIDENCE OF OUR PROGRAMS' EFFICACY THROUGH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ANALYSIS. A 2009 WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY STUDY OF OUR 1:1 TUTORING MODEL FOUND THAT STUDENTS SHOWED 60% MORE IMPROVEMENT IN KEY LITERACY SKILLS THAN NON-PARTICIPATING STUDENTS. VOLUNTEERS SHOWED SIGNIFICANT DECREASES IN DEPRESSION AND FUNCTIONAL LIMITATIONS. THROUGH THE SIF PROJECT, GI ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A RIGOROUS RANDOM CONTROL TRIAL EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF OUR PROGRAM'S SMALL GROUP TUTORING MODEL. RESULTS OF THE STUDY WILL BE AVAILABLE IN JANUARY 2020. IMPACTING CHILDREN'S LITERACY DEVELOPMENT DEMANDS MORE THAN A WELL-INTENTIONED EFFORT; IT TAKES A COMMITMENT TO STRATEGIC ANALYSIS, A DEDICATION TO REFINEMENT AND IMPROVEMENT, AND AN UNWAVERING WILLINGNESS TO STOP WHAT'S NOT WORKING. GENERATIONS INCORPORATED DOES JUST THAT. THEY HOLD THEMSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS AND A CYCLE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT TO ENSURE THEIR PROGRAMS RESULT IN THEIR INTENDED OUTCOMES, BOTH FOR THE ENGAGED VOLUNTEERS AND FOR THOSE CHILDREN THEY SUPPORT. -- KELLY KULSRUD, LECTIO INSTITUTE