The Dream Program Inc

THIS AWARD FUNDS THE APPROVED 2023-2024 AMERICORPS NATIONAL DIRECT PROGRAM. NO MEMBER MAY ENROLL PRIOR TO THE APPROVED START DATE OF THE MEMBER ENROLLMENT PERIOD. YOUR 2023-2024 REGULATORY MATCH IS 38.0% AND YOUR BUDGETARY MATCH IS 50.0%. THIS AWARD INCLUDES ARP FUNDING INTENDED TO INCREASE THE LIVING ALLOWANCE. TO DO THIS, WE WILL AWARD $216,108 FOR LIVING ALLOWANCE INCREASES.

THE DREAM PROGRAM, INC. PROPOSES TO HAVE 28 FULL-TIME AND 92 MINIMUM-TIME AMERICORPS MEMBERS WHO WILL SERVE AS YOUTH MENTORS AND MENTORING COORDINATORS, VOLUNTEER MANAGERS AND TRAINERS, AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAM PROVIDERS IN VT, MA, PA, AND NJ. AT THE END OF THE FIRST PROGRAM YEAR, THE AMERICORPS MEMBERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING TO CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP FOR CHILDREN IN LOW-INCOME HOUSING BY 1) BUILDING TRUSTING MENTORING RELATIONSHIPS WITH HIGH EDUCATIONAL EXPECTATIONS, 2) BROADENING YOUTH'S OUT-OF-SCHOOL EXPERIENCE BASE, 3) PROVIDING ENRICHING SUMMERS, AND 4) SUPPORTING POST-SECONDARY ASPIRATIONS. IN ADDITION, THE AMERICORPS MEMBERS WILL LEVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL 550 VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL BE ENGAGED IN DELIVERING 1-ON-1 AND TEAM MENTORING, ADVENTURE PROGRAMMING, AND ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THIS PROGRAM WILL FOCUS ON THE CNCS FOCUS AREA OF EDUCATION. THE CNCS INVESTMENT OF $734,801 WILL BE MATCHED WITH $711,313, $0 IN PUBLIC FUNDING AND $711,313 IN PRIVATE FUNDING.

THE DREAM PROGRAM, INC. (DREAM) HAS A 25-YEAR RECORD OF PROVIDING EVIDENCE-INFORMED MENTORING TO YOUTH IN LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS ACROSS 26 PREDOMINANTLY PROJECT-BASED HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS IN VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, AND PENNSYLVANIA. DREAM WILL MANAGE THE GRANT AND THE OPERATIONS OF THE VILLAGE MENTORING PROJECT (THE PROJECT). DREAM WILL GROW AND ENHANCE AN INNOVATIVE MENTORING MODEL, VILLAGE MENTORING, TO OPEN UP NEW POOLS OF MENTORS AND REACH THE MOST VULNERABLE YOUTH AROUND THE NORTHEAST AND MID- ATLANTIC. TARGETED COMMUNITIES WILL BE LOCATED IN CONNECTICUT, MAINE, MASSACHUSETTS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, NEW YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, AND WASHINGTON, DC. VILLAGE MENTORING IS A COMBINATION OF ONE-ON-ONE AND TEAM MENTORING, WITH THE GOAL OF BUILDING PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR YOUTH MOST AT RISK FOR DELINQUENCY. A SINGLE VILLAGE MENTORING SITE INCLUDES UNDERGRADUATE MENTORS FROM A NEARBY UNIVERSITY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH A GROUP OF FAMILIES AND YOUTH FROM A LOCAL AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEIGHBORHOOD. THE PROJECT'S TARGET POPULATION IS YOUTH AGES 617 IN HIGH-POVERTY, UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS WITH ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. DREAM REACHES THESE YOUTH BY PARTNERING WITH THE RESIDENT COUNCILS AND MANAGEMENT AGENCIES OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROJECT, YOUTH MENTEES ACROSS 56 LOW-INCOME HOUSING SITES WILL HAVE MORE SUPPORTIVE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS THAT WILL REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOUTH ENGAGING IN HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS AND BECOMING INVOLVED IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

DREAM WILL ENHANCE AND EXPAND AN INNOVATIVE TWO-TIERED, CROSS-AGE, PEER-TO-PEER MODEL TO OPEN NEW POOLS OF MENTORS, ESPECIALLY IN RURAL AREAS, AND REACH THE MOST VULNERABLE YOUTH AROUND VERMONT. PEER-TO-PEER MENTORING MODELS PROVIDE A HIGH-POTENTIAL STRATEGY TO SCALE IN A STATE WHERE MENTORING MATCHES HAVE BEEN ON THE DECLINE. THE PROJECT'S TARGET POPULATION IS RURAL YOUTH (AGES 617) IN HIGH-POVERTY, UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS WITH ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES. THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE AN EVIDENCE-INFORMED COMBINATION OF ONE-ON-ONE AND GROUP MENTORING SERVICES TO YOUTH FROM THIS TARGET GROUP. WITH A TWO-TIERED MENTORING MODEL, WHERE HIGH SCHOOL MENTORS OF YOUNGER YOUTH ARE, THEMSELVES, MENTORED AND COACHED, THE IMPACT AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS AT BOTH THE MENTEE AND MENTOR LEVELS WILL BE SEEN. HIGH SCHOOL MENTORS WILL RECEIVE SCHOOL-BASED INSTRUCTION, ALIGNED WITH VERMONTS ACT 77 FLEXIBLE PATHWAYS INITIATIVE, AND RECEIVE CREDIT AND INSTRUCTION BENEFITING GRADUATION. THE PROJECT WILL FOLLOW THE STANDARDS FROM THE NATIONAL MENTORING PARTNERSHIP AND WILL CONDUCT THE QUALITY MENTORING SYSTEM REVIEW PROCESS DURING YEAR 1 OF NEW SITE OPERATIONS. ALL SITES WILL MEET THE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED BEST PRACTICES IN EACH OF THE SIX AREAS OF CORE PRACTICE STANDARDS LISTED IN THE ELEMENTS OF EFFECTIVE PRACTICE FOR MENTORING. AS A RESULT OF THIS PROJECT, 423 YOUTH ACROSS 30 SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS WILL HAVE MORE SUPPORTIVE SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS THAT WILL REDUCE THE LIKELIHOOD OF YOUTH ENGAGING IN HIGH-RISK BEHAVIORS, INCLUDING SUBSTANCE MISUSE.

THE DREAM PROGRAM'S TWO-TIERED, CROSS-AGE, PEER-TO-PEER MENTORING PROJECT

THE DREAM PROGRAM PROPOSES TO HAVE 21 FULL-TIME AND 26 PART-TIME AMERICORPS MEMBERS WHO WILL SERVE AS YOUTH MENTORS AND MENTORING COORDINATORS, TRAINERS, ORGANIZERS, VOLUNTEER MANAGERS, AND ENRICHMENT PROGRAM PROVIDERS IN VERMONT, MASSACHUSETTS, AND PENNSYLVANIA. AT THE END OF THE FIRST PROGRAM YEAR, THE AMERICORPS MEMBERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP FOR CHILDREN IN LOW-INCOME HOUSING BY INCREASING TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS, BOOSTING EDUCATIONAL ASPIRATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS, AND ESTABLISHING A BROADER BASE OF LEARNING EXPERIENCES. IN ADDITION, THE AMERICORPS MEMBERS WILL LEVERAGE AN ADDITIONAL 570 VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL BE ENGAGED IN DELIVERING MENTORING, ADVENTURE PROGRAMMING AND ENRICHMENT OPPORTUNITIES. THIS PROGRAM WILL FOCUS ON THE CNCS FOCUS AREA OF EDUCATION. THE CNCS INVESTMENT OF $361,592 WILL BE MATCHED WITH $511,046, $0 IN PUBLIC FUNDING AND $511,046 IN PRIVATE FUNDING.

THIS AWARD APPROVES FUNDING FOR THE 2023-24 VOLUNTEER GENERATION FUND ARP PROGRAM DESCRIBED IN THE APPROVED PROGRAM NARRATIVE AND BUDGET. THE PURPOSE OF THIS GRANT IS TO INCREASE THE ORGANIZATION?S CAPACITY THROUGH SUPPORT, MANAGEMENT, RECRUITMENT, AND RETENTION OF 400 VOLUNTEERS WHO WILL SERVE AS E-MENTORS. BY PERFORMING THE FOLLOWING HIGH-LEVEL ACTIVITIES: 1) EXPAND CURRENT MENTOR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY TO EXPAND NEW SCHOOL PARTNERS; 2) RECRUIT, MANAGE, SUPPORT, AND RETAIN MENTORS TO SERVE STUDENTS, 3) VIRTUAL MENTORS, OR E-MENTORS, WILL SERVE STUDENTS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES WHERE VOLUNTEERS ARE NEEDED THE MOST, INCLUDING SCHOOLS WHERE MORE THAN SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF THE STUDENT POPULATION RECEIVES FEDERAL FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH BENEFITS, THIS WILL BENEFIT 5,000 STUDENTS PER YEAR ACROSS NINE SCHOOLS IN CALIFORNIA. THE GENERAL EXPECTED OUTCOME INCLUDES EXPANDING CURRENT MENTOR RECRUITMENT STRATEGY AND LAY THE GROUNDWORK TO SIGNIFICANTLY EXPAND NEW SCHOOL PARTNERS IN 2024 AND 2025 TO REACH 5,000 STUDENTS PER YEAR, AND TO RECRUIT, MANAGE, SUPPORT, AND RETAIN THE MENTORS TO SERVE THEM. YOUR 2023-24 REGULATORY MATCH IS 20%, AND YOUR BUDGETARY MATCH IS 20.2%.

VISTA STATE

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