Project Grant 20SFAVT002

THE NORTHWEST VERMONT FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM (FGP; FORMERLY CALLED TRI-COUNTY FGP) HAS BEEN SERVING CHITTENDEN, FRANKLIN, AND GRAND ISLE COUNTIES OF NORTHWESTERN VERMONT FOR OVER 40 YEARS. SPONSORED BY UNITED WAY OF NORTHWEST VERMONT (UWNWVT), FGP IS PART OF UWNWVT'S COMMUNITY IMPACT & VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION DEPARTMENT WHICH ALSO INCLUDES RSVP OF NORTHWEST VERMONT AND VOLUNTEER CONNECTION. UWNWVT STRIVES TO UNITE OUR COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO SOLVE COMPLEX PROBLEMS AND CREATE A STRONGER NORTHWEST VERMONT. UWNWVT ACCOMPLISHES THIS MISSION THROUGH STRATEGIC INVESTMENT OF FINANCIAL RESOURCES AS WELL AS VOLUNTEER INVESTMENTS THROUGH UWNWVT SENIOR CORPS PROGRAMS RSVP AND FGP, AND THEIR BROADER MOBILIZATION OF VOLUNTEERS THROUGH COMMUNITY-WIDE RECRUITMENT AND REFERRAL EFFORTS. THIS VOLUNTEER MOBILIZATION EFFORT AIMS TO ACHIEVE UWNWVT'S GOAL OF ENSURING, AMONG OTHER PRIORITIES, THAT CHILDREN, YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS ACHIEVE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF NORTHWESTERN VERMONT FGP IS EDUCATION: SCHOOL READINESS AND K-12 SUCCESS. AT THE END OF THE GRANT PERIOD, AT LEAST 29 FOSTER GRANDPARENT VOLUNTEERS WILL BE SERVING CHILDREN IN PRE-SCHOOL, ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOMS; 100% OF THESE VOLUNTEERS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME ASSIGNMENTS. SERVICE ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE: ONE-TO-ONE NURTURING, AGE APPROPRIATE INSTRUCTION AND DEVELOPMENTAL PLAY FOR YOUNG CHILDREN; TUTORING AND LEARNING SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE IDENTIFIED BY SUPERVISING TEACHERS AS NEEDING ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO ACHIEVE LITERACY AND/OR MATH GOALS; AND ONE-TO-ONE OR SMALL GROUP ACTIVITIES PROVIDING TUTORING, MENTORING, ROLE MODELING, NURTURING AND SUPPORT. AT THE END OF EACH YEAR, THESE EFFORTS ENSURE THAT A.) YOUNG CHILDREN SERVED BY FOSTER GRANDPARENTS WILL HAVE ACHIEVED ESSENTIAL SOCIO-EMOTIONAL AND DEVELOPMENTAL SKILLS THAT WILL PREPARE THEM FOR SUCCESS WHEN THEY ENTER SCHOOL, AND B.) K-12 STUDENTS WILL HAVE IMPROVED AND ACHIEVED INDIVIDUALIZED GOALS IN LITERACY AND/OR MATH. THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $168,471 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $85,534 IN NON-FEDERAL RESOURCES. OUR PROGRAM WILL PRODUCE 26 VSYS ANNUALLY.