Dorcas Inc

FULL SERVICE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE, COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING, AND MISCELLANEOUS GRANTS

RHODE ISLAND REFUGEE CAREER PATHWAYS PROGRAM

EDI SPECIAL PROJECTS

ETA COMMUNITY PROJECTS PROJECT ABSTRACT RECIPIENT NAME:DORCAS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RI PROJECT TITLE: TEACHER ASSISTANT TRAINING AND JOB PLACEMENTFUNDING REQUEST: 230,000.00 CONGRESSIONAL SPONSOR: SENATOR REED OF RHODE ISLAND REQUESTED PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE: 24 MONTHS PROJECT LOCATION: DORCAS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RHODE ISLAND 220 ELMWOOD AVENUE PROVIDENCE, RI 02907 PROJECT PURPOSE AND GOALS:PURPOSE: TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE RI COMMUNITY BY RECRUITING MULTILINGUAL STAFF TO TRAIN AND CERTIFY FOR TA ROLES.GOALS: DEVELOP UNIQUE AND SPECIALIZED CURRICULUM FOR TAS IN A MYRIAD OF SPECIALIZATIONS INCLUDING EARLY CHILDHOOD, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, SPECIAL NEEDS, ETC. IDENTIFY 75 STUDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF 24 MONTHS FOR TRAINING AND OCCUPATIONAL PLACEMENT. POST-ATTRITION, HELP A MINIMUM OF 65 STUDENTS SUCCESSFULLY ATTAIN TA CREDENTIALS, DIGITAL LITERACY BADGES, INTERNSHIPS, AND OR EMPLOYMENT SITUATIONS AT A MINIMUM OF 15 HOUR BY 4TH QUARTER AFTER EXIT. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED:IDENTIFY CHALLENGES FOR LEARNERS WHO MIGHT PURSUE TA CREDENTIALS DEVELOP UNIQUE EXPERIENTIAL 10-WEEK CURRICULUM WITH PARTNERS TO ADDRESS INDUSTRY NEEDS, SKILLS TRAINING GAPS, COMPUTER LITERACY, AND ASSOCIATED BARRIERS RECRUIT AMONGST OUR STUDENTS DELIVER INSTRUCTION ON-SITE AT DORCAS INTERNATIONAL PREPARE STUDENTS FOR PARAPRO EXAM, IDENTIFY AND MONITOR PRACTICUMS WITH PARTNERS, PLACE INDIVIDUALS IN RELATED JOBS WITH PARTNERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE EXPRESSED A NEED FOR SKILLED AND MULTILINGUAL TEACHING ASSISTANTS. EXPECTED OUTCOMES:65 INDIVIDUALS EXPECTED TO COMPLETE COURSE (POST-ATTRITION)56 INDIVIDUALS PASS TA EXAM AND GET CREDENTIAL60 INDIVIDUALS WILL HAVE MEASURABLE TECHNOLOGY GAINS VIA NORTHSTAR ASSESSMENT.65 INDIVIDUALS WILL BE PLACED IN INTERNSHIPS AND EMPLOYMENT SITUATIONS VIA OUR PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY NETWORKSINTENDED BENEFICIARIES:DORCAS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE AND PARTNER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS RECEIVE QUALIFIED, CERTIFIED TAS ACCORDING TO THE CURRICULUM THAT PARTNERS HELPED TO TAILOR STUDENTS RECEIVE BASIC SKILLS INSTRUCTION AS WELL AS SPECIALIZED TRAINING AND CREDENTIALS OUR CLIENTS ARE PLACED IN GOOD-PAYING JOBS THE PARENTS AND CHILDREN WHO UTILIZE CHILDCARE SERVICES WILL BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH TEACHING STAFF WHO ARE EMPATHETIC TO THEIR CULTURAL AND LINGUISTIC UNIQUENESS AND CAN COMMUNICATE IN THE CLIENTS NATIVE LANGUAGES. SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES:SPECIFY THE ACTIVITY AND THE SUBRECIPIENT THAT WILL BE PERFORMING THE ACTIVITY. IF NO SUBRECIPIENTS, INDICATE SUCH WITH A N A.N A

CRITICAL CASE MANAGEMENT SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR RHODE ISLAND REFUGEES

DORCAS INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF RHODE ISLAND IS AN INDEPENDENT, MULTI-SERVICE NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION WHOSE PURPOSE IS TO ASSIST THOSE WHO ARE WORKING TO OVERCOME CULTURAL, EDUCATIONAL ECONOMIC, AND LANGUAGE BARRIERS TO ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND ACTIVELY PARTICIPATE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. DORCAS INTERNATIONAL IS SEEKING SUPPORT FOR TWO AMERICORPS VISTAS FOR AGENCY-WIDE CAPACITY BUILDING PROJECTS EXPECTED TO SPAN TWO MORE YEARS. OUR PROJECTS WILL ADDRESS: 1) ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY BY EXPANDING ACCESS TO HOUSING BY WORKING WITH PARTNERS AND LANDLORDS TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF SAFE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING FOR NEWLY ARRIVING REFUGEES AND; 2) OUTREACH AND COMMUNICATIONS TO OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS TO INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF PARTNERSHIPS. AS OF 2018, DORCAS INTERNATIONAL IS THE ONLY AGENCY IN RHODE ISLAND RESPONSIBLE FOR RESETTLING REFUGEES IN RHODE ISLAND. IN 2017, WE RESETTLED OVER 200 REFUGEES AND OFFERED SERVICES TO OVER 500 REFUGEES, INCLUDING EVACUEES OF PUERTO RICO'S DEVASTATING HURRICANES, WHO HAVE BEEN IN RHODE ISLAND LESS THAN FIVE YEARS. A CONTINUATION OF FUNDING FOR YEAR TWO WILL ENABLE US TO INCREASE OUR CAPACITY IN RHODE ISLAND. WITH A CONCENTRATION ON: 1) FINDING AND CATEGORIZING RESOURCES TO MEET OUR CLIENT NEEDS FOR HOUSING, HEALTHCARE, YOUTH PROGRAMS, FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMS AND EMPLOYMENT WITH A "COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR," AND 2) INCREASING AWARENESS AROUND DORCAS INTERNATIONAL SERVICES AND PROGRAMS TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS SERVED WITHIN OUR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP SERVICES, EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, TRANSLATION AND INTERPRETING, AND OUR CLOTHING COLLABORATIVE WITH A NEWLY CREATED VISTA POSITION "COMMUNITY OUTREACH MARKETING COORDINATOR." WITH TWO NEW VISTA MEMBERS, WE PLAN TO 1) INCREASE THE NUMBER OF PARTNERSHIPS TO FILL THE GAPS IN SERVICES AND RESOURCES OUR CURRENT CLIENTS NEED AND CREATE A DATABASE THAT CASE MANAGERS AND STAFF CAN REFER TO SERVE CLIENTS MORE EFFICIENTLY AND EXPEDIENTLY. AND 2) INCREASE OUR CLIENT BASE OF 4500, BY AT LEAST 10% (450) OVER THE NEXT YEAR BY INCREASING MARKETING OUTREACH EFFORTS FOR COLLATERAL DISTRIBUTION, OUTREACH TO BUSINESSES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, SCHOOLS AND OTHER SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS WHERE POTENTIAL CLIENTS MAY ALREADY EXIST, AND HAVE ADDITIONAL NEEDS WE CAN FILL.