BUFFALO — A federal grant totaling more than $3.4 million will support the AmeriCorps Builds Lives through Education (ABLE) program in Western New York, U.S. Rep. Brian Higgins and The Service Collaborative of WNY announced today.
“This is an investment in the lives of those who serve and those being served,” said Congressman Higgins. “ABLE members receive valuable training and life experiences that will stay with them long after their service commitment ends, while schools in high-need communities receive additional human resources to help in a coordinated effort to place students on a path to success.”
The Service Collaborative of WNY Executive Director Kate Sarata said, “Receiving this funding will allow The Service Collaborative and our ABLE program the ability to hone in on some of the largest educational needs within our schools here in WNY. By providing strong interventions for social-emotional student support and math support, our ABLE members will impact students’ lives well beyond their term of service.”
Through the award, The Service Collaborative of WNY will receive $1,141,538 annually for the next three years. The grant will allow for the placement of 80 full-time AmeriCorps members to tutor and mentor students in areas of high need during the 2016-17 school year.
ABLE members serve the community by providing social/emotional/behavioral skills support, as well as math tutoring, in grades 4-10. TSC ABLE members can be found in the classrooms and after school programming of public, private, and charter schools throughout the City of Buffalo.
Those interested in becoming an ABLE member receive training in evidence based interventions to guide their work with students. ABLE members earn a modest living stipend for their 12-month commitment to service as well as a $5,730 education award, health insurance, child care and professional development.
The Service Collaborative of WNY supports opportunities for individuals to serve their community through programs that include: ABLE; WNY YouthBuild, which teaches in-demand job skills and GED certification while engaged in community revitalization; the Regional Opportunity Corps, supporting financial-literacy education and training services; VISTA, a program that supports collaboration with non-profit organizations or schools; and VolunteerWNY, a program focused on combatting homelessness in WNY.
The funding was awarded through the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that helps Americans improve the lives of others through service.
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