COLORADO – Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet today announced that Colorado has received $10.4 million in AmeriCorps grants from the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS).
“AmeriCorps members provide invaluable services to communities across the state, and these grants will help support their continued leadership and service,” Bennet said. “We applaud the organizations that received these grants. We must provide more service opportunities across the country.”
“National service is an essential part of the solution to many of the challenges facing our state,” Colorado Lieutenant Governor Donna Lynne said. “These AmeriCorps members will meet pressing local needs and strengthen communities as they develop civic and leadership skills to last a lifetime. I congratulate these outstanding organizations and thank all those who serve their communities through AmeriCorps.”
The 2017 AmeriCorps grant competition prioritized investments in economic opportunity, education, veteran and military families, disaster services, and initiatives to build safer communities.
The federal investment includes seven grants totaling $3.8 million and supporting 1,595 new AmeriCorps members who will serve in education and conservation programs. It also provides $4.3 million in education scholarships to help members pay for college, vocational training, or student loans. Earlier this year, Bennet introduced legislation to provide tax relief for AmeriCorps members who earn Segal Education Awards, which help make college more affordable. Lastly, the investment includes $2.3 million for Serve Colorado, the Governor-appointed state service commission.The 2017 AmeriCorps competitive grants in Colorado will be awarded to:
- Youth Corps for Colorado – AmeriCorps members will perform disaster relief, strengthen outdoor recreation infrastructure, and improve energy efficiency in low-income homes in 46 counties.
- Veterans Fire AmeriCorps (VFA) – Veterans serving as AmeriCorps members will complete forest fire mitigation and restoration through fire fuels reduction, pile burning, prescribed burns, and fire line construction at ten sites. The VFA program helps reintegrate veterans into the civilian world through workforce training for permanent careers related to land management.
- Conservation Legacy AmeriCorps – AmeriCorps members will create resilient communities by reducing the risk of wildfire, removing non-native plant species, reducing flood impact, protecting wildlife habitat, and completing technical projects providing monitoring and analysis data for land and water managers.
- Family and Community Engagement Education Corps – AmeriCorps members will provide daily tutoring to students below proficiency in mathematics and provide evidence-based, targeted interventions to increase attendance in Denver public schools.
- Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPYCorps) – AmeriCorps members will deliver an evidence-based school readiness program to families with children in Adams, Denver, Jefferson, Pueblo, and Weld counties.
- Colorado Reading Corps – AmeriCorps members will improve the literacy proficiency of K-3rd grade students in the highest-need schools in Adams, Arapahoe, and Jefferson Counties.
- Campus Compact of the Mountain West – AmeriCorps members will support Campus Contact’s mission of facilitating responsible citizenship and civic engagement in college-aged youth. Campus Compact advances community goals in areas such as K-12 learning, college readiness, college access, and the development of student civic knowledge.