NEW HAVEN >> U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro gave Superintendent of Schools Garth Harries a high-five Wednesday at the New Haven Reads Literacy Center as she announced a $345,000 grant to the New Haven Education Americorps VISTA Project.
The New Haven Education Americorps VISTA (or Volunteers in Service to America) Project is a collaboration between seven non-profit organizations in New Haven and the New Haven Public Schools that aims to improve education-related services in the city by appointing VISTA members to each organization.
"This is a program that is hands-on," said DeLauro. D-3. "This grant will provide staff and support and living allowances for 22 Americorps VISTA members that can serve in New Haven schools and community organizations and will help build on education premises."
The grant was provided by the Corporation for National and Community Services, and State Program Director Anne M. Ostberg, who helped develop the New Haven Education VISTA project, said its mission is to improve the education outcome of area students.
"It will help them stay in school, help them stay engaged in school, help them get better grades and graduate and go onto college to be successful," said Ostberg.
According to Ostberg who oversees all the VISTA projects in Connecticut, New Haven Education Americorps began two years ago with a small grant and a small number of volunteers. Now the project has more volunteers and with the grant hopes to expand to other organizations.
"There have been 260 volunteers recruited by VISTA members, and those volunteers have contributed over 12,000 hours of volunteer services and VISTA members have raised over $150,000 in cash and kind donations all of which goes to support these programs," Ostberg said.
Carol Hazlett a VISTA member for three years and soon-to-be VISTA leader, said they focus on child literacy, college access and school wraparound.
"Basically we provide literacy tutoring to students, guidance in college applications and help promote parent engagement," Hazlett said.
The VISTA project is sponsored by the Agency of Aging of South Central Connecticut.
Ron Webb, the director of Volunteer and Training at the Agency of South Central Connecticut oversees the recruitment, placement and training of the VISTA members. Webb said they have 16 VISTA members and are looking to recruit six more.
"Education is an area where we need to concentrate on, there are not enough resources, and we know that kids are having a difficult time learning to read because of other situations going on in their life," Webb said.
According to Webb, the VISTA members provide an extra layer of manpower to organizations that are already great and take them to the next level.
"They are sort of another pair of hands that get things going to set up systems," he said. "All of the VISTAS we have here are making sure that kids are becoming better readers and improving their literacy skills."
nnew3670ed 09 Aug, 2013
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Source: http://www.educationnews.com/2013/08/08/new-haven-education-programs-to-receive-help-from-345000-grant/
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