AmeriCorps is a national service program administered by the Kentucky Commission on Community Volunteerism and Service (KCCVS) in the CHFS. AmeriCorps grants are awarded to eligible organizations proposing to engage AmeriCorps members in evidence-based or evidence-informed interventions to strengthen communities. Members serve faith-based and nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, local government entities and state agencies.
CHFS Secretary Vickie Yates Brown Glisson said the grants will help address critical issues across the commonwealth – like teaching and tutoring students, combatting homelessness, providing drug resistance education, protecting environmental resources, serving veterans and military families, empowering victims of domestic violence and assisting low-income senior citizens.
“This funding will engage Kentuckians across the state in service that will benefit the local needs of thousands of citizens,” Glisson said. “Service is a wonderful way to build our workforce and our community resources.”
Glisson said that including additional local funding and educational grants, AmeriCorps programs will result in a $16.8 million investment in Kentucky.
“Kentucky AmeriCorps is making an enormous impact, both now and for the future of our Commonwealth,” Glisson said. “I am proud that this funding is strengthening both individuals and entire communities.”
KCCVS Executive Director Joe Bringardner said the 2017 AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive, with a continuing level of strong demand by organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources. The national competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, opioid prevention, education, governor and mayor initiatives, veterans and military families, disaster services, and initiatives to build safer communities.
“Our programs really demonstrated their community-driven goals in their grant applications,” he said. “These programs have distinct goals to help educate youth, provide comfort to seniors and rebuild families’ lives by providing safe and affordable housing,” he said. “Our AmeriCorps members use their talents, their vision and their boundless energy to establish immediate and long-lasting change in Kentucky.”
Kentucky received $4.5 million for 11 programs in national competitive grant funding and were also allocated $2 million in formula grant funding to support additional state programs. The law creating AmeriCorps gave a key role to state service commissions in determining how national service resources are used to promote service and volunteering to meet specific community needs.
With the state allocation, the KCCVS awarded grants to 12 additional AmeriCorps programs.
AmeriCorps program sponsors are also contributing a total of $6.9 million in local funding matches, money from the private sector, foundations, community partnerships and other sources.
In addition to the grant funding, CNCS will make available nearly $3.4 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Awards for the AmeriCorps members funded by these grants. After completing a full term of service, members receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award of $5,815 to pay for college or to pay back student loans.
From an economic standpoint, AmeriCorps is a good investment in workforce training. Recent studies show a strong connection between volunteering and employment, particularly in rural areas, where volunteers are 57 percent more likely to find employment. In fact, eight out of 10 alumni say AmeriCorps helped them get a job. Bringardner said AmeriCorps can pave the way to higher education and a selected career for many Kentuckians.
“Kentucky AmeriCorps provides millions of dollars for college,” he said. “This funding provides a path to education and a long-term livelihood. And most members stay in the public service field – their passion to serve is what drives them.”
Since AmeriCorps began in 1994, more than 11,000 Kentuckians have served more than 17 million hours and have received education awards totaling more than $40.8 million. Data collected from the last completed program year reveals that AmeriCorps members recruited more than 27,000 community volunteers who provided an additional 80,000 hours of service to the Commonwealth of Kentucky and its citizens.
Competitive grants are awarded nationally for fixed time periods for specific projects and costs. Formula grants are awarded by the bipartisan KCCVS commission based on local needs, Governor’s Office priorities, geographic and program diversity, performance measurements and CNCS focus areas.
2017-18 Kentucky AmeriCorps Program Grants:
Gateway AmeriCorps
Sponsor: Gateway Community and Technical College
CNCS Grant: $63,974 (Formula Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $46,489
Member Slots: 22
Ed Awards: $27,098
CNCS Focus Area(s): Capacity Building
Members apply academic knowledge and skills to provide needed direct and indirect services to economically disadvantaged individuals and families through skills-based matched placements at non-profits, local or regional government agencies, or educational settings located in Northern Kentucky.
Kentucky College Coaches
Sponsor: NKU Research Foundation
CNCS Grant: $428,869 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $420,756
Member Slots: 77
Ed Awards: $187,010
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education, Veterans and Military Families
Members coach high school students and Veterans pursuing post-secondary education. Members leverage an additional 500 volunteers to be engaged in helping high school students and veterans learn about careers, complete paperwork for college access, and build a college-going culture in Kentucky.
Kentucky College Coaches on Campus (KC3)
Sponsor: NKU Research Foundation
CNCS Grant: $75,000 (Formula – Planning Grant)
Local Match: $23,469
Member Slots: 0
Ed Awards: $0
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Plans to engaged members who will support economically disadvantaged students prepare for success in post- secondary educational institutions.
ATEAM
Sponsor: Barren County School Board
CNCS Grant: $498,811 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $753,210
Member Slots: 80
Ed Awards: $232,600
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members tutor targeted remedial students in Kindergarten through 12th grade in reading and/or math using research based curriculums. ATEAM members leverage an additional 400 volunteers to be engaged in assisting students in tutoring and support of school based and program service projects.
Christian Appalachian Project AmeriCorps
Sponsor: Christian Appalachian Project
CNCS Grant: $33,080 (Formula Fixed Amount – Education Award Program)
Local Match: $883,195
Member Slots: 70
Ed Awards: $240,446
CNCS Focus Area(s): Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthy Futures
Members provide housing services, long-term hunger support, emergency assistance, disaster relief, early childhood education, character education and tutoring, summer programming, and elderly and disability services for residents of Eastern Kentucky. Members leverage an additional 1,000 volunteers to be engaged in housing repair.
Economic Empowerment Corps
Sponsor: KY Coalition Against Domestic Violence
CNCS Grant: $266,000 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $132,335
Member Slots: 20
Ed Awards: $116,300
CNCS Focus Area(s): Economic Opportunity
Members provide economic empowerment services to domestic violence survivors at KCADV’s 15 member programs and other community partners across the state. Members leverage an additional 600 volunteers to be engaged in assisting the members with financial education courses or helping participants in economic empowerment programs access community resources.
Environmental Education Leadership Corps
Sponsor: Kentucky Environmental Council
CNCS Grant: $61,360 (Formula Cost Reimbursement – Planning Grant)
Local Match: $26,020
Member Slots: 0
Ed Awards: $0
CNCS Focus Area(s): Environmental Stewardship
Plans to support 10 members who will provide high quality environmental education across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
FRYSC Corps
Sponsor: Ohio Valley Educational Cooperative
CNCS Grant: $439,446 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $715,616
Member Slots: 90
Ed Awards: $266,734
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members provide literacy tutoring and student mentoring in economically disadvantaged schools in Northern, Central, and Eastern Kentucky. Members leverage an additional 150 literacy peer mentors to be engaged in helping Kindergarten to grade 5 students find pleasure in reading.
GGC In-Residence Expanded Learning Partnerships
Sponsor: Global Game Changers Children’s Education Initiative
CNCS Grant: $146,920 (Formula Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $300,000
Member Slots: 20
Ed Awards: $58,150
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members teach students in GGC’s Expanded Learning Programs in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Members leverage an additional 75 volunteers to be engaged in mentoring students and supporting classroom instruction during the course of the In-Residence Program.
Homes for All
Sponsor: Homeless and Housing Coalition of KY
CNCS Grant: $515,397 (Formula Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $646,200
Member Slots: 38
Ed Awards: $209,340
CNCS Focus Area(s): Economic Opportunity
Members serve as housing services members, providing construction, rehabilitation, repair and other housing service activities in order to increase Kentucky’s safe and affordable housing stock for individuals and families that are low-income or have a disability. Members leverage at least 550 unduplicated volunteers each year.
KY READY Corps
Sponsor: Eastern Kentucky University
CNCS Grant: $204,093 (Formula Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $88,729
Member Slots: 35
Ed Awards: $70,769
CNCS Focus Area(s): Disaster Services
Members identify and provide direct assistance to individuals and groups vulnerable to disasters, and they conduct disaster planning with a focus on vulnerable individuals and groups in communities across the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Louisville Metro Parks AmeriCorps
Sponsor: Louisville Metro Parks and Recreation
CNCS Grant: $198,593 (Formula Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $95,528
Member Slots: 14
Ed Awards: $78,503
CNCS Focus Area(s): Environmental Stewardship
Members help to protect and enhance environmental resources. They engage in (1) improving parks, natural areas, historic properties, and urban forest and public lands through invasive plant removal and natural woodland restoration, restoration/creation of trails; (2) tree health maintenance, tree replacement/new plantings; (3) environmental education and interpretive services; and (4) recruitment, training, and placement of volunteers to support these activities.
MSU Corps
Sponsor: Morehead State University
CNCS Grant: $402,900 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $616,405
Member Slots: 30
Ed Awards: $174,450
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members provide evidence-based math and reading tutoring in local elementary and middle schools using technology-based interventions to high-risk, economically disadvantaged students in 22 counties in Eastern Kentucky. Members leverage an additional 150 volunteers to be engaged in student success by providing a minimum of 5 hours of tutoring to students engaged in the intervention program.
PartnerCorps School Turnaround
Sponsor: Partners for Education at Berea College
CNCS Grant: $839,998 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $409,884
Member Slots: 60
Ed Awards: $348,900
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members serve high school students in Clay, Knox, and Perry Counties in rural Kentucky and are responsible for increasing attendance of high school students.
PartnerCorps SOAR
Sponsor: Partners for Education at Berea College
CNCS Grant: $278,585 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $136,998
Member Slots: 24
Ed Awards: $121,243
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members serve in Leslie County Schools in rural Kentucky and are responsible for improving student attendance.
PartnerCorps STEM
Sponsor: Partners for Education at Berea College
CNCS Grant: $320,718 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $149,690
Member Slots: 32
Ed Awards: $140,258
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members serve as mentors, tutors, and college guides in Madison County, Kentucky. Members leverage an additional 24 volunteers to be engaged as presenters of STEM career opportunities.
The Plantory AmeriCorps
Sponsor: The Plantory/Kentucky Conference for Community and Justice
CNCS Grant: $58,315 (Formula Cost Reimbursement – Planning Grant)
Local Match: $18,354
Member Slots: 0
Ed Awards: $0
CNCS Focus Area(s): Economic Opportunity, Education, Healthy Futures
Plans to have 10 AmeriCorps members who will support the direct service efforts of local nonprofits in Lexington, KY. Members will leverage an additional 300 volunteers to be engaged in supporting local nonprofits.
REACH Corps School Turnaround
Sponsor: Jefferson County Public Schools
CNCS Grant: $327,021 (Competitive Cost Reimbursement)
Local Match: $138,873
Member Slots: 24
Ed Awards: $139,560
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members mentor disadvantaged students at priority and focus schools in Jefferson County, Kentucky. Members leverage 432 volunteers to be involved in tutoring, parent and community engagement activities, and school-based service projects.
Senior Connections
Sponsor: Green River Area Development District
CNCS Grant: $590,920 (Formula Fixed Amount)
Local Match: $231,000
Member Slots: 44
Ed Awards: $255,860
CNCS Focus Area(s): Disaster Services, Economic Opportunity, Healthy Futures, Veterans and Military Families
Members provide a range of services and social support to seniors, to reduce the rate of hospitalization among Medicare beneficiaries at a variety of service sites. Members leverage 800 volunteers to be engaged in assisting the efforts of AmeriCorps members and training with AmeriCorps members to prepare for and recover from disasters that may affect the region.
Teach For America – KY
Sponsor: Teach For America
CNCS Grant: $46,000 (Competitive Fixed Amount – Education Award Program)
Local Match: $787,000
Member Slots: 46
Ed Awards: $267,490
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members are responsible for teaching for two years in low-income and disadvantaged schools in Appalachian Kentucky.
Teach Kentucky AmeriCorps
Sponsor: Teach Kentucky
CNCS Grant: $24,000 (Formula Fixed Amount – Education Award Program)
Local Match: $0
Member Slots: 24
Ed Awards: $139,560
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members are STEM public middle and high school teachers in Jefferson County Public Schools.
UNITE Service Corps
Sponsor: Operation UNITE
CNCS Grant: $658,800 (Competitive Fixed Amount)
Local Match: $297,000
Member Slots: 54
Ed Awards: $314,010
CNCS Focus Area(s): Education
Members provide math tutoring and wellness curriculum to address drug prevention and nutritional education for 4th and 5th grade students. The USC members leverage an additional 1,100 volunteers to help with activities at their assigned schools.
UWBG Resource Corps
Sponsor: United Way of the Bluegrass
CNCS Grant: $75,000 (Formula Cost Reimbursement – Planning Grant)
Local Match: $23,156
Member Slots: 0
Ed Awards: 0
CNCS Focus Area(s): Economic Opportunity
Plans to place members at UWBG’s 2-1-1 Contact Center who will engage with individuals and families to ensure they have the necessary information to access human services.
From Kentucky Health and Family Services Cabinet
