Project Grant 20SFAPA001

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IN FY21, THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA?S FOSTER GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM WILL HAVE 81 VOLUNTEERS PLACED IN OUTCOME-BASED ASSIGNMENTS ENGAGING IN 81 VOLUNTEER SERVICE YEARS. PHILADELPHIA?S PROGRAM IS ONE OF THE LARGEST AND LONGEST RUNNING SENIOR CORPS PROGRAMS IN THE STATE. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION (PRE-K TO GRADE 4). THE PROGRAM ENGAGES LOW-INCOME SENIOR VOLUNTEERS WHO DEDICATE 15 TO 40 HOURS PER WEEK IN PRE-K AND EARLY ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS AND OUT-OF-SCHOOL-TIME (OST) SITES ACROSS THE CITY, WORKING WITH STUDENTS ONE-ON-ONE OR IN SMALL GROUPS. VOLUNTEER ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MENTORING, TUTORING, AND GENERAL SUPPORT IN SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS. THE SENIOR VOLUNTEERS STAY ACTIVE BY SERVING YOUTH IN THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND THE PROGRAM CREATES LONG LASTING INTERGENERATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS THAT PROVIDE CLASSROOM STABILITY AND INDIVIDUALIZED STUDENT SUPPORT. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT SUSTAINED MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS YIELD A VARIETY OF BENEFITS FOR THE YOUTH INVOLVED. THE STUDENTS SERVED BY FOSTER GRANDPARENTS, AT THE END OF THE PROJECT PERIOD, WILL DEMONSTRATE IMPROVED SCHOOL PREPAREDNESS AND ACADEMIC AND SOCIAL GAINS. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $519,921 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $57,345 NON-FEDERAL RESOURCES. THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA WILL CONTINUE TO FUNCTION AS THE LEGAL APPLICANT AND SPONSOR ORGANIZATION FOR THE PHILADELPHIA CHAPTER OF THE FOSTER GRANDPARENTS PROGRAM. THESE EFFORTS ALIGN WITH THE MAYOR?S POLICY OBJECTIVE OF PROVIDING QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR ALL, AND KEY INITIATIVES INCLUDING COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OF PHILADELPHIA, AND SCHOOL COMMUNITIES TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO LEARNING AND SUPPORT THE SUCCESS OF EACH STUDENT, AND PHLPREK WHICH FUNDS FREE, QUALITY PRE-K FOR THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES. (HTTPS://WWW.PHILA.GOV/MEDIA/20200106104156/CITY-OF-PHILADELPHIA-MAYOR-SECOND-TERM-REPORT.PDF)