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Tempe awarded grant for national literacy program
July 03 , 2006 by Kathleen GordenTEMPE, Ariz. - The City of Tempe has been selected as a new site for Experience Corps, a national program that engages adults ages 55+ in efforts to improve early childhood literacy. Experience Corps currently operates in 14 cities nationwide with 1,800 adult participants.
The City of Tempe Community Services Department has been awarded a four-year, $297,397 grant from The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust to implement Experience Corps beginning this fall. Collaborating with Tempe Elementary School District No. 3 and the Kid Zone Enrichment Program, several schools will be selected to receive a total of 36 adult volunteers, who will serve in teams providing tutoring and mentoring to 250 students in kindergarten through third grade.
Experience Corps will be the cornerstone civic engagement opportunity offered through Tempe Connections, a project of The Next ChapterTM initiative that is located in the Tempe Public Library.
The Next Chapter(tm) initiative provides expertise and assistance to community groups across the country working to help people in the second half of life set a course, connect with peers, and find pathways to significant service. The Next Chapter is a program of Civic Ventures, a national nonprofit organization working to help society achieve the greatest return on experience. Within Maricopa County, four Next Chapter projects, supported by grants from The Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust, are being developed in Chandler, Mesa, Scottsdale and Tempe.
Tempe Connections is a café and space where adults 50+ can find information, services and programs with a focus on life planning, lifelong learning and social connections leading to civic engagement and social renewal. Tempe Connections will assist in recruiting interested adults ages 55+ who want to use their experience and skills to make an impact on children's lives in our community.
Experience Corps volunteers who can commit 15 hours a week for nine months at the selected Tempe schools will receive a small, bi-weekly stipend. Opportunities also will be available for adult volunteers to serve during the school day and after school through the City of Tempe Kid Zone Enrichment Program.
John Hopkins University researchers found that Experience Corps has a significant impact on schools by boosting student academic performance and attendance, promoting positive behavior and enhancing children's readiness to learn. The benefits to Experience Corps members have also been well documented. Research has found a significant positive impact on adult volunteers' health and well being.
Those interested in becoming Experience Corps members in Tempe should contact Peggy Goldberg at 480-858-2465, peggy_goldberg@tempe.gov or Rebecca Bond at 480-350-5490, rbond@tempeconnections.org
For more information on Experience Corps go to www.experiencecorps.org or more information on Civic Ventures visit www.civicventures.org.
