SWIC receiving $401,089 Americorps grant
Southwestern Illinois College in Belleville will receive a $401,089 grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service for the Belleville AmeriCorps program.
“This funding will allow for 73 AmeriCorps members to specifically address and promote academic achievement for K-8th grade students in Southern Illinois,” said Congressman William Enyart, D-Belleville. AmeriCorps members will serve in schools and neighborhood associations during the day, after school, and during the summer in Belleville. “I’m proud to say that the Belleville program was awarded the third-highest number of member grants in the entire state.”
The current year’s AmeriCorps grant cycle was highly competitive, due to the strong and growing demand by organizations seeking AmeriCorps resources. The 2014 competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, veterans and military families, disaster services, and continued a new initiative for governors and mayors.
CNCS will provide $183,271 in education awards for the AmeriCorps members funded by this grant. After completing a full term of service, members receive an award of $5,645 that they can use to pay for college or to pay off student loans.
2014 marks the 20th anniversary of the AmeriCorps program. Since 1994, more than 830,000 Americans have provided more than 1 billion hours of service addressing critical challenges from poverty and hunger to disasters and the dropout crisis.
