Project Grant 19SFSGA002

AN ESTIMATED 47 FOSTER GRANDPARENT VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE. OF THIS NUMBER ALL OF THE FOSTER GRANDPARENTS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS. SOME OF THEIR ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE HELPING WITH SCHOOL WORK, POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT AND REDIRECTION, MODELING PROPER SOCIAL SKILLS AND ASSISTING WITH COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS EDUCATION. AT THE END OF A THREE-YEAR GRANT OUR GRANDPARENTS WILL HAVE SERVED AT LEAST 150 AT-RISK CHILDREN WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $209,157.00 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH $38,590.00. OVERVIEW, INC IS THE COMMUNITY ACTION AGENCY FOR A SEVEN COUNTY AREA. THE MISSION OF OVERVIEW, INC IS TO IDENTIFY PROBLEMS, PROVIDE SERVICES AND OPERATE PROGRAMS IN AN EFFORT TO ENABLE ELDERLY AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED CITIZENS TO ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY. THE FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM CURRENTLY SERVES IN THREE OF THE POVERTY BASED COUNTIES. BALDWIN, HANCOCK AND PUTNAM COUNTIES ARE THE THREE COUNTIES CURRENTLY BEING SERVED BY THE BENEFICIAL FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM. WITH THIS NEW GRANT OUR FOCUS AREA WILL BE ENTIRELY ON EDUCATION. WE WILL PLACE AN ESTIMATED 47 VOLUNTEERS IN AN OUTCOME BASED ASSIGNMENT. THE VOLUNTEERS WILL SERVE AT AN ESTIMATED SEVEN LOCATIONS WITHIN THE THREE COUNTIES WHERE WE HAVE VOLUNTEERS. WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, TEACHERS, MENTORS AND AT-RISK CHILDREN TO ENHANCE K-12 SUCCESS AND PROMOTE GOOD LEARNING SKILLS. THE HEAD START CENTERS WILL BE USED AS PARTNERS IN THIS VENTURE. THE OUTCOMES OF EACH CHILD-GRANDPARENT CONNECTION WILL BE MEASURED BY USING DATA IMPACTS AND EVALUATIONS. SOME OF THE DAILY ACTIVITIES THAT THE VOLUNTEERS WILL ENGAGE ARE: HELPING WITH SCHOOL WORK, POSITIVE ENCOURAGEMENT AND REDIRECTION, MODELING PROPER SOCIAL SKILLS, ASSIST WITH COGNITIVE ACTIVITIES, ETC. BY THE END OF THE THREE YEAR GRANT PERIOD OUR GRANDPARENTS WILL HAVE SERVED AT LEAST 150 AT-RISK CHILDREN WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WILL HAVE HELPED THEM SUCCEED AND MOVE ON TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL. IT IS EXPECTED THAT THIS EARLY INTERVENTION WILL CONTINUE TO PROMOTE INCREASES IN THE PERCENT OF CHILDREN DEMONSTRATING GAINS IN K-12 SUCCESS AND EMOTIONAL AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $209,157.00 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $38,590.00.