AmeriCorps grants to fund tutoring programs in Southside

Several hundred thousand dollars in AmeriCorps funding is earmarked for helping students across Southside Virginia.

AmeriCorps, a service and volunteerism organization, this week announced a funding pool of $4.7 million to be distributed among 12 organizations throughout the commonwealth. The annual grant is meant to leverage volunteerism to help communities solve local problems.

The Institute for Advanced Learning and Research in Danville and United Way of Henry County and Martinsville were among those chosen for funding.

The institute will receive $231,275 to help it continue its Dan River AmeriCorps program.

Now in its 10th year, the program recruits STEM and literacy coaches to provide additional instruction to upper elementary and middle school students, according to IALR spokesperson Allison Moore.

The institute plans to draw directly from AmeriCorps to source 31 new coaches for this year’s program. The coaches will assist upper elementary and middle school students in making improvements in literacy, math and social-emotional learning. They will work in Pittsylvania County, Danville and Martinsville at partner sites.

The institute plans to start the program in September and run it through August 2025. Coaches will work with students from five to 30 hours weekly, and their stipends will range from $4,200 to $13,500.

United Way has similar plans. Working with Henry County Public Schools, the nonprofit hopes to address early childhood literacy by using the grant to provide tutoring services to students in kindergarten and first and second grades, said Craig McCroskey, director of financial stability for United Way.

The focus on younger students was intentional, he said.

“There is a need, of course, across all grades,” McCroskey said, but the state already has programs designed for students in third grade and onward. “This was identified as a gap by the school systems.”

The program is scheduled to begin in September, and interviews are underway to find service members who will work closely with teachers who are tasked with identifying which students could benefit from additional tutoring. Ideal service members have experience working with students either through the school system or some other means.

“It’s a one-year commitment,” McCroskey said. “What we’re looking for is people [who can work] with kids and can work in the school system with the teachers.”

The service members are not categorized as employees and will receive living allowances of $14 an hour, McCroskey said. United Way has not determined its total grant award, he said.

Currently, United Way’s program focuses on students under Henry County Schools. The nonprofit hopes to expand the tutoring services to Martinsville City Public Schools sometime in the future.

The post AmeriCorps grants to fund tutoring programs in Southside appeared first on Cardinal News .