Project Grant 20SFNMI002

51 FOSTER GRANDPARENT VSYS (37 FEDERALLY FUNDED AND 14 NON-FEDERALLY FUNDED) WILL BE UTILIZED FOR THE PARTICIPATION OF APPROXIMATELY EIGHTY SENIORS ANNUALLY, WITH AN AVERAGE OF SIXTY OR MORE SERVING AT ANY GIVEN TIME AS VOLUNTEERS WITH AT-RISK YOUTH IN THE COMMUNITY OF ST. CLAIR COUNTY, MICHIGAN. OF THIS NUMBER, 90% OF VOLUNTEERS WILL BE PLACED IN OUTCOME-BASED ASSIGNMENTS. ASSIGNMENTS WILL INCLUDE "SCHOOL READINESS" AND "K-12 SUCCESS" AND "OTHER COMMUNITY PRIORITIES" WITH SERVICE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS TUTORING, MENTORING, OUT-OF-SCHOOL TIME SUPPORT, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SUPPORT AND OTHER CLASSROOM SUPPORT. THE PRIMARY FOCUS AREA OF THIS PROJECT IS "EDUCATION" WITH A STRONG EMPHASIS ON READING SKILLS. AT THE END OF THE THREE-YEAR GRANT NEARLY 1,000 CHILDREN WILL HAVE BEEN ASSISTED BY A FOSTER GRANDPARENT WITH 70% OR MORE HAVING DEMONSTRATED GAINS IN SCHOOL READINESS SKILLS (ED23A) AND/OR IMPROVED ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE (ED5A). THE CNCS FEDERAL INVESTMENT OF $230,944 WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED BY $216,528 NON-FEDERAL RESOURCES THAT HAVE BEEN LEVERAGED FROM THE STATE OF MICHIGAN AND THE SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL COMMUNITY WHERE THE PROJECT SERVES. THE COUNCIL ON AGING INC., SERVING ST. CLAIR COUNTY (COA) IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT IS THE SINGLE LARGEST SENIOR-SERVING ORGANIZATION IN THE COMMUNITY. ITS MISSION STATEMENT IS BASED UPON PROMOTING AND SAFEGUARDING THE INDEPENDENCE AND WELL-BEING OF SENIORS, THROUGH THE COORDINATION OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES. THE GOAL OF THE NATIONAL SENIOR CORPS IS TO EMPOWER PEOPLE 55 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH VOLUNTEERING, ENHANCE THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO SERVE AND THOSE WHOM THEY SERVE, AND PROVIDE COMMUNITIES WITH VALUABLE SERVICES (DOMESTIC VOLUNTEER SERVICE ACT, CHAPTER 66, SUBCHAPTER II). THE COA HAS BEEN AN APPROPRIATE MATCH AS THE SPONSOR OF THE FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM SINCE 1977. THE FOSTER GRANDPARENT PROGRAM IN ST. CLAIR COUNTY, MI. PROVIDES ACCESS TO SERVICES, RESOURCES, AND STRUCTURED VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR LOW-INCOME SENIORS, ENABLING THEM TO BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY. THROUGH THAT ENGAGEMENT, VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTE TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES AND MORE FOR 300 OR MORE AT-RISK CHILDREN AND YOUTH ANNUALLY. FOSTER GRANDPARENTS WILL SERVE IN SCHOOLS, PRESCHOOLS, AND OTHER NON-PROFIT CHILD-SERVING ORGANIZATIONS TO FOCUS ON SCHOOL READINESS SKILLS FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUNG CHILDREN AND ON EDUCATIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL OUTCOMES OF K-12 YOUTH WITH SPECIAL OR EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS.