Children’s Museum receives
$210,000 from Economic Recovery Act
to expand AmeriCorps program
Providence Children’s Museum has been awarded a $210,000 grant
to expand its AmeriCorps program, funded by the Economic Recovery
Act. The grant will enable the Children’s Museum to add 12 new
AmeriCorps members to its current 16-member team and expand outreach to
after-school and summer programs in the greater Providence area
beginning in July.
New AmeriCorps members will work with the Children’s Museum’s
partner organizations – Boys and Girls Club of Providence, Cranston's
Community Learning Center and the YMCA of Greater Providence – to serve
more than 700 low-income children. Members will provide tutoring
help and facilitate “Learning Clubs” – sessions of hands-on, minds-on
literacy activities – for children ages 6 to 11.
The Economic Recovery Act has provided increased funding for
AmeriCorps programs throughout the nation, including seven other
programs in Rhode Island. The grant is administered by Serve
Rhode Island and the Corporation for National and Community Service.
Providence Children’s Museum has been an AmeriCorps site since
1997. Under the guidance of Museum education staff, team members
work to instill a lifetime love of learning in children. In
addition to conducting Learning Clubs for children at inner-city
community centers, members provide enriched learning experiences for
all 1,200 Greater Providence Head Start children, conduct professional
development workshops for Head Start teaching staff, and recruit and
coordinate Museum volunteers.
The Museum’s AmeriCorps members receive training in informal learning
as well as living allowances and educational grants in return for a
year of participation in this national service program.
Individuals interested in applying to the Museum’s AmeriCorps team
should contact Carole Ann Penney at (401) 273-5437 ext. 134 or americorps@childrenmuseum.org.
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