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AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Grant AwardMasterpiece on the Mississippi TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Grant Award DATE: September 2, 2010 Leisure Services Manager Marie Ware is recommending approval of a grant agreement with the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service for the City of Dubuque AmeriCorps Program. Ten Dubuque elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools, as well are five community sites, including Carnegie -Stout Public Library, Crescent Community Health Center, Dubuque Community Y and RSVP are the sites for AmeriCorps member placement as part of this grant. The City is pleased to be receiving supplemental funding for the program this year. concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval. MCVM:jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, City Attorney Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager Marie L. Ware, Leisure Services Manager Mic ael C. Van Milligen Dubuque Ibtai All-America City 1 I 2007 Masterpiece on the Mississippi TO: FROM: SUBJECT: DATE: Attachment Michael C. Van Mil!igen, City Manager Marie L. Ware, Leisure Services Manager AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Grant Award September 1, 2010 cc: Penny Ehlinger, AmeriCorps Program Director ImY INTRODUCTION The purpose of this memorandum is to request the City Council to authorize the City Manager's execution of the attached grant agreement with the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service for the City of Dubuque AmeriCorps Program. Dubuque ketd All- America City 1 ' 2007 BACKGROUND The City of Dubuque's Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program has been awarded a grant from the Corporation for National and Community Service. The grant is for the period of September 1, 2010 to August 31, 2011. It will provide an award of $208,488. The source of match funding is a 25% match from AmeriCorps sites and in kind match for administration and training. This program is directed by Penny Ehlinger and Beverly Berna, They currently are sharing the position in the interim of hiring. The recruitment and hiring process to replace Penny whom is retiring, is taking place currently. Ten Dubuque elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools as well as five community sites including Carnegie Stout Public Library, Crescent Community Health Center, Dubuque Community Y and RSVP are the sites for AmeriCorps member placement as a part of this grant. The grant agreement was received late last week due to the late release by the Corporation for National and Community Service. The AmeriCorps program has seen highly successful results in its 10 year history. The lives of many people in Dubuque have been touched by AmeriCorps members. Training for the incoming AmeriCorps members takes place next week with placement the week after that. We received additional great news that the program will receive supplemental funding. That grant agreement will be forthcoming in the next month. RECOMMENDATION OR CONCLUSION I recommend authorizing the City Manager's to sign attached grant agreement with the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service. Chester J. Culver, Govemor VOLUNTEER IOWA Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service IOWA'S PROMISE �¢w �,,,.IbxS4NSnY • •�! WA o 0g 0 ME�1 To: AmeriCorps Program Directors From: ICVS Program Officers Date: August 25, 2010 Re: 2010 -2011 AmeriCorps Grant Agreements We apologize for the delay in getting these agreements to you. We were hoping to have the supplemental funding awarded by this time in order to incorporate the awards into one agreement if possible. However, we do not expect to hear about the funding until late this week, so grantees who receive supplemental funding should expect to hear next week on the funding and MSY levels and we plan to issue the grant agreements for those funding amounts in early September. Enclosed please find the 2010 -2011 AmeriCorps grant agreements for operation of an AmeriCorps grant from September 1, 2010 through August 31, 2011. Please sign both copies of page 10 of the agreement and return them and the complete grant agreement (pages 1 -10) to our office for execution. We will return a fully executed copy to you for your files. In order to ensure that grant agreements are in place prior to the start date, we need to receive the information back by 12 noon on August 31, 2010. If you are unable to get the hard copies to us by this date, please return via fax or email attachment, a copy of the signature page by this deadline. Once the agreements are signed in our office, we will send you email confirmation that you are able to begin grant activities and then send along the fully executed agreement to you via US Postal Service (or Campus Mail, if state agency). If you have any questions, please contact your program officer as soon as possible. PattyJudge, Lieutenant Governor 200 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309 Tel: 515.725.3095 = 800.308.5987 ¢ icvs @iowalifechanging.com www.volunteeriowa.org IOWA COMMISSION ON VOLUNTEER SERVICE AmeriCorps GRANT AGREEMENT GRANT NUMBER: 10 -AC -13 AWARD DATE: September 1, 2010 AWARD AMOUNT: $208,488 GRANTEE FED. ID. #: 42- 6004596 THIS AmeriCorps AGREEMENT is made by and between the IOWA COMMISSION ON VOLUNTEER SERVICE, 200 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa 50309 ( "Commission" or "ICVS "), an agency of the State of Iowa, and City of Dubuque ( "Grantee "), a city government. The Commission desires to make a grant to the Grantee and the Grantee desires to accept this grant, all upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement. THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual promises contained in this Agreement and other good and valuable consideration, it is agreed as follows: ARTICLE I DEFINITIONS As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall apply: 1.1 ACT. "Act" means the National and Community Service Act of 1990, as amended (42 U.S.C. S.12591 ET seq.). 1.2 AWARD DATE. "Award Date" means the date on which the Commission approved the grant award. 1.3 GRANT AGREEMENT or AGREEMENT. "Grant Agreement" or "Agreement" means this Agreement and all of the exhibits, attachments and documents referred to in the Agreement and all other instruments or documents executed by the parties or otherwise required in connection with the Agreement. 1.4 PROJECT. "Project" means the detailed description of the work, services, and other obligations to be performed or accomplished by the Grantee as described in this Agreement and the AmeriCorps application approved by the Commission. 1.5 PROJECT COMPLETION DATE. "Project Completion Date" means August 31, 2011 and is the date by which the Project tasks shall have been fully accomplished including fulfillment of the obligations identified in Article VI. AmeriCorps Grant Agreement Format Approved 10/94 Revised 8/04 10 -AC -13 Page 2 of 11 ARTICLE II FUNDING 2.1 FUNDING SOURCE. The source of funding for the Grant is a grant from the Corporation for National Service for the AmeriCorps Program. The Grantee shall comply with the requirements, conditions and rules of the Commission and any other public or private entity having authority over the funds or the Grant. 2.2 RECEIPT OF FUNDS. All payments under this Agreement are subject to receipt by the Commission of sufficient funds for the AmeriCorps Program. Any termination, reduction or delay of funds to the Commission shall, at the option of the Commission, result in the termination, reduction or delay of funds to the Grantee. ARTICLE III GRANT; TIME OF PERFORMANCE; WORK TO BE PERFORMED 3.1 GRANT. The Commission grants $208,488 for the time period of September 1, 2010, to August 31, 2011, to the Grantee for AmeriCorps activities. 3.2 WORK TO BE PERFORMED. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement, ICVS grants funds to the Grantee to perform activities and services as specifically outlined in Exhibit C entitled "Grant Application" dated May 5, 2010, attached hereto, and incorporated by this reference, and for such other tasks as ICVS and Grantee may agree to in writing. ARTICLE IV CONDITIONS TO DISBURSEMENT OF FUNDS Unless and until the following conditions have been satisfied, the Commission shall be under no obligation to disburse to the Grantee any amounts under the Grant Agreement: 4.1 GRANT AGREEMENT EXECUTED. The Grant Agreement shall have been properly executed and, where required, acknowledged. 4.2 AUTHORITY Resolution of the Board of Directors authorizing the execution and delivery of this Grant Agreement and such other papers as the Commission may reasonably request, and specifying the officer(s) authorized to execute the Grant Agreement and bind the Grantee. ARTICLE V REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES OF GRANTEE To induce the Commission to make the Grant referred to in this Agreement, the Grantee represents, covenants and warrants that: 5.1 AUTHORITY. The Grantee is duly authorized and empowered to execute and deliver the Grant Agreement. All action on the Grantee's part, such as appropriate resolution of its Board of 10 -AC -13 Page 3 of 11 Directors for the execution and delivery of the Grant Agreement, has been effectively taken. 5.2 FINANCIAL INFORMATION. All financial statements and related materials concerning the Grantee and the Project provided to the Commission are true and correct in all material respects and completely and accurately represent the subject matter thereof as of the effective date of the statements and related materials, and no material adverse change has occurred since that date. 5.3 APPLICATION. The contents of the application the Grantee submitted to the Commission for funding is a complete and accurate representation of the Grantee and the Project as of the date of submission and there has been no material adverse change in the organization, operation, or key personnel of the Grantee since the date the application was submitted to the Commission. 5.4 PRIOR AGREEMENTS. The Grantee has not entered into any verbal or written contracts, agreements or arrangements of any kind, which are inconsistent with the Grant Agreement. 5.5 EFFECTIVE DATE. The covenants, warranties and representations of this Article are made as of the date of this Agreement and shall be deemed to be renewed and restated by the Grantee at the time of each request for disbursement of funds. ARTICLE VI GRANTEE OBLIGATIONS 6.1 AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS. The Grantee covenants with ICVS that: (a) PROJECT WORK AND SERVICES. The Grantee shall complete the work and services detailed in its application. (b) COMPLIANCE WITH LAW AND REGULATIONS. The Grantee shall comply with the provisions of the Act, the Corporation's regulations (45 CFR 2510 et al) (Exhibit D), AmeriCorps - Provisions (Exhibit E) and all other applicable laws and regulations. (c) ACCESS TO RECORDS. The Grantee shall permit the Commission, Auditor of the State of Iowa or any authorized representative of the State, and where federal funds are involved, the Comptroller General of the United States or any other representative of the United States Government, to access and examine, audit, excerpt and transcribe any directly pertinent books, documents, papers and records of Grantee relating to orders, invoices, or payments or any other documentation or materials pertaining to this contract. (d) RECORDS RETENTION. All records of the Grantee relating to this contract shall be retained for a period of five (5) years following the date of final payment or completion of any required audit and resolution of any audit findings, whichever is earlier. (e) USE OF GRANT FUNDS. The Grantee shall expend funds received under the Grant only for the purposes and activities described in its application and approved by the 10 -AC -13 Page 4 of 11 ITEM Payment Request Periodic Expense Report Federal Financial Report (FFR) Final Federal Financial Report Performance Measures Reporting Performance Measures negotiated with ICVS staff Performance Measures Reporting in Survey Monkey Final Performance Measures Report in Survey Monkey Audit Report Commission and in compliance with applicable federal and state law and regulations. (f) DOCUMENTATION. The Grantee shall deliver to ICVS upon request, (i) copies of all contracts or agreements relating to the Project, (ii) invoices, receipts, statements or vouchers relating to the Project, (iii) a list of all unpaid bills for labor and materials in connection with the Project, (iv) budgets and revisions showing estimated Project costs and funds required at any given time to complete and pay for the Project, and (v) current and year -to -date operating statements not older than sixty (60) days from the date of request. (g) NOTICE OF PROCEEDINGS. The Grantee shall promptly notify ICVS of the initiation of any claims, lawsuits or proceedings brought against the Grantee. (h) REPORTS. The Grantee shall submit the following reports to ICVS: NO. OF COPIES one signed original in iowagrants.gov in OnCorps in OnCorps DATE DUE 25 of each month 20 of each month April 25, 2011 and October 25, 2011 Within 60 days of termination of grant agreement within 30 days of grant agreement start date April 15, 2011 October 15, 2011 Within 60 days of expiration or termination of grant agreement one copy See exhibit "A" (i) MAINTENANCE OF PROJECT PROPERTY AND INSURANCE. Grantee shall maintain with financially sound and reputable insurers, insurance to protect its properties against losses or damages of the kind customarily insured against by corporations of established favorable reputation engaged in the same or similarly situated. Grantee shall, on request of ICVS, furnish a schedule of all insurance carried by it, setting forth in detail the amount and type of such insurance. 10 -AC -13 Page 5 of 11 (j) INDEMNIFICATION. Grantee shall jointly and severally defend, indemnify and hold ICVS and any federal funding source, its successors and assigns, harmless from and against any liability, loss, damage or expense, including reasonable counsel fees, which ICVS may incur or sustain by reason of (a) the failure of Grantee to fully perform and comply with the terms and obligations of this loan; (b) Grantee's performance or attempted performance of the Project; (c) Grantee's activities with subcontractors and third parties. (k) INTEREST AND UNEXPENDED PROCEEDS. The Grantee shall return all unexpended Grant proceeds and interest accrued on Grant proceeds to the Commission within thirty (30) days after the agreement expiration date. ARTICLE VII DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE PRIORITY 7.1 DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE. The following documents are hereby incorporated by reference: - 1. Exhibit A, "AUDIT REQUIREMENTS". 2. Exhibit B, "APPROVED BUDGET ", dated May 5, 2010. 3. Exhibit C, "GRANT APPLICATION ", dated May 5, 2010 on the SF424 form. 4. Exhibit D, "FEDERAL REGULATIONS" 5. Exhibit E, "AmeriCorps — PROVISIONS ". 7.2 ORDER OF PRIORITY. In the event of a conflict between documents of this agreement, the following order of priority shall govern: 1. Articles I through X herein. 2. Exhibit A, "AUDIT REQUIREMENTS ". 3. Exhibit B, "APPROVED BUDGET ", dated May 5, 2010. 4. Exhibit C, "GRANT APPLICATION ", dated May 5, 2010 on the SF424 form. 5. Exhibit D, "FEDERAL REGULATIONS" 6. Exhibit E, " AmeriCorps - PROVISIONS ". 10 -AC -13 Page 6 of 11 ARTICLE VIII DEFAULT AND REMEDIES 8.1 EVENTS OF DEFAULT. The following shall constitute Events of Default under this Grant Agreement: (a) MATERIAL MISREPRESENTATION. If at any time any representation, warranty or statement made or furnished to the Commission by, or on behalf of, the Grantee in connection with this Grant Agreement or to induce the Commission to make a grant to the Grantee shall be determined by the Commission to be incorrect, false, misleading or erroneous in any material respect when made or furnished and shall not have been remedied to the Commission's satisfaction within thirty (30) days after written notice by the Commission is given to the Grantee. (b) LACK OF PROGRESS. If there is a failure of the Grantee to make substantial and timely progress toward performance of the Project; (c) NONCOMPLIANCE. If there is a failure by the Grantee to comply with any of the covenants, terms or conditions contained in this Agreement. (d) PROJECT COMPLETION DATE. If the Project, in the sole judgment of the Commission, is not completed on or before the Project Completion Date. (e) MISSPENDING. If the Grantee expends Grant proceeds for purposes not described in the application or authorized by the Commission. (f) INSOLVENCY OR BANKRUPTCY If the Grantee becomes insolvent or bankrupt, or admits in writing its inability to pay its debts as they mature, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors, or the Grantee applies for or consents to the appointment of a trustee or receiver for the Grantee or for the major part of its property; or if a trustee or receiver is appointed for the Grantee or for all or a substantial part of the assets of the Grantee and the order of such appointment is not discharged, vacated or stayed within sixty (60) days after such appointment; or if bankruptcy, reorganization, arrangement, insolvency, or liquidation proceedings or other proceedings for relief under any bankruptcy or similar law or laws for the relief of debtors, are instituted by or against the Grantee and, if instituted against the Grantee is consented to, or, if contested by the Grantee is not dismissed by the adverse parties or by an order, decree or judgment within sixty (60) days after such institution. (g) INSURANCE. If loss, theft, damage or destruction of any substantial portion of the property of the Grantee occurs for which there is either no insurance coverage or for which, in the opinion of the Commission, there is insufficient insurance coverage. 8.2 NOTICE OF DEFAULT. ICVS shall issue a written notice of default providing therein a fifteen (15) day period in which the Grantee shall have an opportunity to cure, provided that cure is possible and feasible. 10 -AC -13 Page 7 of 11 8.3 REMEDIES UPON DEFAULT. If, after opportunity to cure, the default remains, ICVS may do one or more of the following: (a) exercise any remedy provided by law, (b) require immediate repayment of the full amount of funds disbursed to the Grantee under the Grant Agreement plus interest. ARTICLE IX DISBURSEMENT PROCEDURES 9.1 REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT. All disbursements of proceeds shall be subject to receipt by the Commission of requests for disbursement submitted by the Grantee. Requests for disbursement shall be in form and content acceptable to the Commission. Each requisition shall be submitted to the Commission according to the schedule shown in Article 6.1(h). 9.2 REQUEST FOR ADVANCE PAYMENT. (a) Advance Payments. The Grantee may receive advance payments of grant funds, provided the Grantee meets the financial management standards specified in OMB Circulars A - 102 or A - 110, as applicable. (b) Immediate cash flow needs. The amount of advance payments requested by the Grantee must be based on actual and immediate cash needs in order to minimize federal cash on hand in accordance with policies established by the U.S. Commission of the Treasury in 31 CFR Part 205. (c) Discontinuing advance payments. The ICVS may, after providing due notice to the Grantee, discontinue the advance payment method and allow payments in advance only by individual request and approval or by reimbursement when a grantee receiving payments demonstrates unwillingness or inability to establish procedures to minimize the time elapsing between the receipt of the cash advance and its disbursement. (d) Interest bearing accounts. In most circumstances, the Grantee must deposit advance funds received from the ICVS in a federally insured, interest- bearing account. For exceptions to this requirement, refer to OMB Circular A -102 or A -110, as appropriate. ARTICLE X GENERAL TERMS AND PROVISIONS 10.1 BINDING EFFECT. This Grant Agreement shall be binding upon the Grantee and the Commission, and their respective successors, legal representatives and assigns. The obligations, covenants, warranties, acknowledgments, waivers, agreements, terms, provisions and conditions of this Grant Agreement shall be jointly and severally enforceable against the parties to this Grant Agreement. 10 -AC -13 Page 8 of 11 10.2 COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS AND REGULATIONS. Grantee shall comply with all applicable State and federal laws, rules, ordinances, regulations and orders. 10.3 TERMINATION DUE TO NONAPPROPRIATION OR REDUCTION. If funds anticipated for the continuing fulfillment of this Agreement are at any time not forthcoming or insufficient due to non - appropriation, termination of the program, or reduction in funding level, then ICVS shall have the right to terminate this contract without penalty by giving the Grantee not less than thirty (30) days written notice. In the event of termination of this agreement under this Article, the exclusive, sole and complete remedy of the Grantee shall be payment of services rendered prior to termination. 10.4 TERMINATION. This agreement may be terminated in the following circumstances: (a) At ICVS' discretion, without cause, after thirty (30) days written notice to Grantee. (b) As a result of Grantee's default under this Agreement. (c) As a result of the termination or reduction of funding to ICVS. The Administrative Rules of ICVS in regards to the appeals process apply in all situations. 10.5 TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE. In addition to termination due to an event of default or non - appropriation of funds, this Grant Agreement may be terminated in whole, or in part, when the Commission and the Grantee agree that the continuation of the Project would not produce beneficial results commensurate with the future disbursement of Grant funds. The Grantee shall not incur any obligations after the effective date of the termination and shall cancel as many outstanding obligations as is reasonably possible. The Commission will allow full credit to the Grantee for the Commission share of the non - cancelable obligations allowable under the Grant Agreement and properly incurred by the Grantee prior to termination. 10.6 PROCEDURE UPON TERMINATION. If the Grant Agreement is terminated for convenience, an event of default or non - appropriation of funds, disbursements shall be allowed for costs up to the date of termination determined by the Commission to be in compliance with this Grant Agreement. The Grantee shall return to the Commission all unencumbered Grant proceeds within one (1) week of receipt of Notice of Termination. 10.7 UNALLOWABLE COSTS. If ICVS determines at any time, whether through monitoring, audit, closeout procedures or by other means, that the Grantee has expended funds which are unallowable, the Grantee will be notified of the questioned costs and given an opportunity to justify questioned costs prior to ICVS' final determination of the disallowance of costs. If it is ICVS' final determination that costs previously paid by the Commission are unallowable under the terms of the Agreement, the expenditures will be disallowed and the Grantee shall repay to ICVS any and all disallowed costs. 10.8 SURVIVAL OF AGREEMENT. If any portion of this Grant Agreement is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the remainder shall be valid and enforceable. The provisions of this Grant Agreement shall survive the execution of all instruments herein mentioned and shall continue in full force until the Grant is paid in full. 10 -AC -13 Page 9of11 10.9 GOVERNING LAW. This Grant Agreement shall be interpreted in accordance with the law of the State of Iowa, and any action relating to the Grant Agreement shall only be commenced in the Iowa District Court for Polk County or the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. • 10.10 MODIFICATION. (a) JOINT MODIFICATION. The Commission or the Grantee may, during the duration of this Agreement, deem it necessary to modify provisions of this Agreement, which increase or decrease the total amount of the Agreement, make a substantial change in the scope of services, add additional budget line items or transfer funds between line items within a budget category. All changes shall be incorporated into this Agreement through written amendment signed by both the Commission and the Grantee. The provisions of the amendment shall be in effect as of the date of modification is signed by both the Commission and the Grantee, unless otherwise specified within the amendment. (b) MODIFICATION NOT REQUIRED. Budget modifications that do not require a written amendment are those in which any or all of the administrative budget category is transferred to the AmeriCorps member wages and fringe benefit category or those in which one or more administrative budget line items changed but the total expenditures for administrative budget categories do not exceed the approved budget for administrative budget categories. (c) UNILATERAL MODIFICATION. Notwithstanding paragraph "a" above, ICVS may unilaterally modify this Agreement at will in order to accommodate any change in the Act or any change in the interpretation of the Act or any applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations, rules or policies. A copy of such unilateral modification will be given to the Grantee as an amendment to this Agreement. 10.11 NOTICES. Whenever this Grant Agreement requires or permits any notice or written request by one parry to another, it shall be in writing, enclosed in an envelope, addressed to the party to be notified at the address heretofore stated (or at such other address as may have been designated by written notice), properly stamped, sealed and deposited in the United States Mail, as Certified Mail, Return Receipt Requested. Any such notice given hereunder shall be deemed delivered upon the earlier of actual receipt or two (2) business days after posting. The Commission may rely on the address of the Grantee set forth heretofore, as modified from time to time, as being the address of the Grantee. 10.12 WAIVERS. No waiver by the Commission of any default hereunder shall operate as a waiver of any other default or of the same default on any future occasion. No delay on the part of the Commission in exercising any right or remedy hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof. No single or partial exercise of any right or remedy by the Commission shall preclude future exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right or remedy. 10 -AC -13 Page l0of11 10.13 LIMITATION. The Commission shall not, under any circumstances, be obligated financially under this Grant Agreement except to disburse funds according to the terms of the Agreement. 10.14 ENFORCEMENT EXPENSES. The Grantee shall pay upon demand any and all reasonable fees and expenses of the Commission, including the fees and expenses of their attorneys, experts and agents, in connection with the exercise or enforcement of any of the rights of the Commission under this Grant Agreement. 10.15 HEADINGS. The headings in this Grant Agreement are intended solely for convenience of reference and shall be given no effect in the construction and interpretation of this Grant Agreement. 10.16 COST VARIATION. In the event that the total Project cost is less than the amount specified in this Agreement, ICVS' participation shall be reduced at the same ratio as ICVS funds are to the total Project cost, and any disbursed excess above the reduced ICVS participation amount shall be returned immediately to ICVS. 10.17 COMPLIANCE WITH EEO /AA PROVISIONS. Grantee shall comply with the provisions of federal, state and local laws and regulations to ensure that no employee or applicant for employment is discriminated against because of race, religion, color, age, sex, national origin, or disability. Grantee shall provide state or federal agencies with appropriate reports as required to ensure compliance with equal employment laws and regulations. Grantee shall ensure that all authorized subcontractors comply with provisions of this clause. A breach of this Article shall be considered a material breach of this contract. 10.18 NON - ASSIGNMENT. This contract may not be assigned without prior ICVS written consent. 10.19 JOINT LIABILITY. If Grantee is a joint entity, consisting of more than one individual, partnership, corporation or other business organization, all such entities shall be jointly and severally liable for carrying out the activities and obligations of this contract, and for any default of such activities and obligations. 10.20 INTEGRATION. This Grant Agreement contains the entire understanding between the Grantee and the Commission and any representations that may have been made before or after the signing of this Grant Agreement, which are not contained herein, are nonbinding, void and of no effect. Neither of the parties has relied on any such prior representation in entering into this Grant Agreement. 10 -AC -13 Page 11 of 11 10.21 COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same instrument. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Grant Agreement. IOWA COMMISSION ON CITY OF DUBUQUE VOLUNTEER SERVICE BY: BY: Adam Lounsbury Michael VanMilligen Executive Director DATE: DATE: City Manager 0°/3t11(0 10 -AC -13 Page 11 of 11 10.21 COUNTERPARTS. This Agreement maybe executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all of which together shall constitute but one and the same instrument. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have executed this Grant Agreement. IOWA COMMISSION ON CITY OF DUBUQUE VOLUNTEER SERVICE BY: BY: Adam Lounsbury Michael VanMilligen Executive Director City Manager DATE: DATE: °V AR Exhibit A Audit Requirements EXHIBIT A AUDIT REQUIREMENTS 1. Agreements must be audited by a Certified Public Accountant or a Public Accountant as defined by Chapter 116 of the •Code of iowa•or the State - Auditor. 2. Audit Report Format. The report must include at a minimum (a) short form auditor's opinion on the financial statements; (b) Auditor's comments on: compliance of the Grantee with the terms and conditions of the Agreement (including the Statement of Work) and policies and procedures prescribed by the Grantee's governing board regarding financial operations; internal accounting controls; reasonableness of cost allocation methods if personnel and overhead costs are allocated to more than one project; (c) cumulative statement of resources and expenses by the individual project Agreement for the full Agreement period; balance sheet if there are receivables and payables at the end of the project period; and (d) notes to the financial statements; comments on questioned costs and accounting systems weaknesses. 3. The Agreement shall be audited within ninety (90) days after the termination date of the Agreement, unless the Commission approves a time extension. One (1) copy of the audit report is to be submitted to the Commission for consideration. 4. If the audit for this Agreement is included as part of an annual agency -wide audit, the provisions included in OMB Circular A -133 (Revised) will meet the minimum audit requirements of the Commission. Grantees expending $500,000 or more in federal awards in their fiscal year must have these funds audited in accordance with OMB Circular A -133 (Revised) (either organization -wide or program specific). If $500,000 or more in federal funds were expended from more than one federal source, an organization -wide audit under OMB Circular A -133 (Revised) will be required. Grantees expending less than $500,000 in federal awards in a year are exempt from any federal audit requirements for that year, but shall comply with audit requirements prescribed by state or local law. In an annual agency -wide audit, the audit report shall be due within 30 days after the completion of the audit, but no later than one year after the end of the audit period, unless a longer period is agreed to by both parties. At a minimum, the report must show revenues by source: state and local; and expenses by category; administrative costs and enrollees costs. Exhibit B Approved Budget August 12, 2010 6:45 PM Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program City of Dubuque Application ID: 10AC107482 Budget Dates: 09/01/2010 - 08/31/2011 Total Amt CNCS Share Grantee Share Section I. Program Operating Costs A. Personnel Expenses 90,033 ' 42,000 48,033 B. Personnel Fringe Benefits 7,557 2,000 5,557 C. Travel Staff Travel 880 0 880 Member Travel 1,320 0 1,320 Total $2,200 $0 $2,200 D. Equipment E. Supplies 4,970 2,215 2,755 F. Contractual and Consultant Services G. Training Staff Training Member Training ' 5,000 0 5,000 Total $5,000 $0 $5,000 H. Evaluation L Other Program Operating Costs 10,942 0 10,942 Travel to CNCS- Sponsored Meetings 0 0 0 Section I. Subtotal Section f Percentage Total $10,942 $0 $10,942 $120,702 $46,215 $74,487 38% 62% Section II. Member Costs A. Living Allowance Full Time (1700 hrs) 59,000 50,150 8,850 1 -Year Half Time (900 hours) 54,315 46,165 8,150 Reduced Half Time (675 hrs) 0 0 0 Quarter Time (450 hrs) 36,216 30,784 5,432 Minimum Time (300 hrs) 10,060 8,551 1,509 2 -Year Half Time (2nd Year) 0 0 0 2 -Year Half Time (1st Year) 0 0 0 Total $159,591 $135,650 $23,941 B. Member Support Costs 28,168 0 28,168 FICA for Members 12,209 10,209 2,000 Worker's Compensation 1,286 0 1,286 Health Care 9,000 8,000 1,000 Total $50,663 $18,209 $32,454 Section II. Subtotal $210,254 $153,859 $56,395 Section II. Percentages 73% 27% Section III. Administrative /Indirect Costs A. Corporation Fixed Percentage Corporation Fixed Amount 28,401 8,414 19,987 Commission Fixed Amount 2,099 2,099 0 B. Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Section III. Subtotal $30,500 Section III Percentage Section I + III. Funding Percentages Budget Totals Budget Total Percentage Required Match # of years Receiving CNCS Funds Total $30,500 - $10,513 $19,987 $361,456 $10,513 $19,987 $210,587 58% 26% 4 34% 66% 38% 63% $150,869 42% RPT_BGT_424 Form 424A Modified SF -424A (4/88 and 12/97) Page 1 Total MSYs Cost/MSY August 12, 2010 6:45 PM Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program City of Dubuque 16.70 $12,610 RPT_BGT_424 Form 424A Modified SF -424A (4/88 and 12/97) Page 2 Position/Title -Qty - Annual Salary -% Time CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount AmeriCorps Director: - 2 person(s) at 50000 each x 50 % usage 42,000 8,000 50,000 Program Administration & Finance Director: - 2 person(s) at 100000 each x 2 % usage 0 4,000 4,000 Every Child Every Promise Director & Multicultural Family Center Director: - 2 person(s) at 48000 each x 5 % usage 0 4,800 4,800 Site Supervisor Principal: - 8 person(s) at 90030 each x 2 % usage 0 14,405 14,405 Site Supervisor Teacher /Counselor /Summer: - 12 person(s) at 48450 each x 2 % usage 0 11,628 11,628 Administrative Assistant: - 1 person(s) at 20800 each x 25 % usage 0 5,200 5,200 CATEGORY Totals 42,000 48,033 90,033 Purpose - Calculation CNCS Share Grantee Share ' Total Amount Director's Travel - mileage for site supervision, ICVS training and staff development: 1600 miles (Program Director trainings 3 trips @ 400 miles each + 20 site monitoring visits @ 20 miles each x .55 rate = $880) 0 880 880 CATEGORY Totals 0 880 880 Purpose - Calculation CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount Travel to program sites and ICVS Member training and events: 2 Member state trainings x 3 vehicles x 400 miles each = 2400 miles 0 1,320 1,320 CATEGORY Totals 0 1,320 1,320 Purpose - Calculation -Total Amount CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount FICA; Retirement: FICA @ 0765 Retirement @. 0605 2,000 5,557 7,557 CATEGORY Totals 2,000 5,557 7,557 Budget Narrative for 10AC 107482 Budget Narrative: Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program for City of Dubuque Section I. Program Operating Costs A. Personnel Expenses B. Personnel Fringe Benefits C. Travel Staff Travel Member Travel Page 1 of 5 https:// egrants. cns. gov /espan/ main /report.j sp ?sid= 173c41 d824e73790f5b645c9740cffafb 1... 8/12/2010 Item - Calculation CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount Uniforms: T -shirts ($10), sweatshirts($25) and name tags ($7) = $42 x 45 Members 1,890 0 1,890 Office Equpiment Maintance & Office Supplies: Copy Machine Maintance $325 Postage $100 + Cell Phone $350 + Office Supplies $300 325 750 1,075 Curricula Educational Supplies: Notebooks, curricula/lesson plans, program supplies and handouts for 45 day camps, educational programs and field trips. 45 x $44.56 (average cost) =$2005 0 2,005 2,005 CATEGORY Totals 2,215 2,755 4,970 Purpose - Calculation -Daily Rate CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount Initial & Ongoing Training: CPR /First Aid 45 x $12 = 540 + Portfolios, Member Handbooks and Other Training Supplies - Daily Rate of 50- Daily Rate of 50 0 2,000 2,000 Member Development Training: Educators hourly calculation based on salary and benefits Daily Rate 50- Daily Rate of 50 0 3,000 3,000 CATEGORY Totals 0 5,000 5,000 Item /Purpose -Qty -Unit Cost CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount CATEGORY Totals 0 0 0 Purpose - Calculation -Daily Rate CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount CATEGORY Totals 0 0 0 Purpose - Calculation -Daily Rate CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount CATEGORY Totals 0 0 0 Budget Narrative for 10AC 107482 D. Equipment E. Supplies Page 2 of 5 F. Contractual and Consultant Services ' G. Training Staff Training Member Training H. Evaluation Purpose - Calculation -Daily Rate CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount httt s: / /earants.cns.s7ov /esoan/ main / report. isn? sid= 173c41d824e73790f5b645c9740cffafb1 .__ 8/12/2010 Item - # Mbrs w/ Allow - Allowance Rate - # Mbrs w/o Allow CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount Full Time (1700 hrs): 5 Member(s) at a rate of 11800 each Members W/O allowance 0 50,150 8,850 59,000 1 -Year Half Time (900 hours): 9 Member(s) at a rate of 6035 each Members W/O allowance 0 46,165 8,150 54,315 2 -Year Half Time (1st Year): Member(s) at a rate of each Members W/O allowance 0 0 0 2 -Year Half Time (2nd Year): Member(s) at a rate of each Members W/O allowance 0 0 0 Reduced Half Time (675 hrs): Member(s) at a rate of each Members W/O allowance 0 0 0 Quarter Time (450 hrs): 12 Member(s) at a rate of 3018 each Members W/O allowance 0 30,784 5,432 36,216 Minimum Time (300 hrs): 5 Member(s) at a rate of 2012 each Members W/O allowance 14 8,551 1,509 10,060 CATEGORY Totals 135,650 23,941 159,591 Purpose - Calculation CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount Travel to CNCS- Sponsored Meetings: 0 0 0 Meeting Rooms, Office Space & Utilities - not part of approved cost allocation plan: 12 training rooms x $50 = $600 + Office space, Computer Internet, Electricity, Phone @$33 per month x 12 months =$400. Total $1,000 0 1,000 1,000 Fiscal Management, Bookkeeping & Office Support: Budget Officer @ $30 an hour X 96 hours = $2880; Account Clerk © $16 an hour X 208 hours = $3328; Secretarial © $16 an hour X 104 hours = $1664. Total $7872 0 7,872 7,872 Criminal Background Checks: Instate 45 x $5 =$225; Out of state 4 x $20 = $80. Staff 4 x $5 = $20 Total $325 0 325 325 Field Trips: 10 Youth Field Trips by Bus X $174.50= $1,745. Total = $1,745 0 1,745 1,745 CATEGORY Totals 0 10,942 10,942 SECTION Totals 46,215 74,487 120,702 • PERCENTAGE 38% 62% Budget Narrative for 10AC107482 I. Other Program Operating Costs Section II. Member Costs A. Living Allowance B. Member Support Costs CATEGORY Totals II Page 3 of 5 https: / /egrants .cns.gov /espan/main/report.j sp ?sid =173 c41 d824e73790f5b645c9740cffafb 1... 8/12/2010 . Purpose - Calculation CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount FICA for Members: .0765 x total Member living allowance $159,591 = $12,209 10,209 2,000 12,209 Worker's Compensation: 28.57 x 45 0 1,286 1,286 Health Care: 150 x 5 x 12 8,000 1,000 9,000 Living Allowance Stipend for Ed Award Only: 14 x $2012 = $28,168 0 28,168 28,168 CATEGORY Totals 18,209 32,454 50,663 SECTION Totals 153,859 56,395 210,254 PERCENTAGE 73% 27% Item - Calculation CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount Corporation Fixed Amount: .0421 for CNCS + .10 Grantee administrative match 8,414 19,987 28,401 Commission Fixed Amount: 0.0105 2,099 0 2,099 CATEGORY Totals 10,513 19,987 30,500 BUDGET Totals / 210,587 150,869 361,456 PERCENTAGE 58% ' 42% 0 Total MSYs 16.70 19,987 30,500 Cost/MSY 12,610 66% Calculation -Cost Type -Rate - Rate Claimed -Cost Basis CNCS Share Grantee Share Total Amount CATEGORY Totals 0 0 0 SECTION Totals 10,513 19,987 30,500 PERCENTAGE 34% 66% Section Match Description Amount- Type Source The AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Program utilizes Budget Narrative for 10AC107482 Section III. Administrative /Indirect Costs A. Corporation Fixed Percentage B. Federally Approved Indirect Cost Rate Source of Funds httns: / /earants cns anv /ecnan /main /renr rt icn9cir1= 171c41 r1R74P7179(1f51 -, 45c974Oeffafill Page 4 of 5 R/1')/')(11 fl Source of Funds teachers and other professionals through in -kind training for Member development. In -kind contributions provide administrative and overall program support. 52,701 In Kind State /Local Member costs come from $2 per hour cash match from partners and agencies and local grants. 45,984 Cash State /Local 14 positions receive their living allowance stipend from our partners. 28,168 Cash State /Local Total Source of Funds 126,853 Budget Narrative for 10AC 107482 Page 5 of 5 https: / /egrants .cns.gov /espan/main/report.j sp ?sid =173 c41 d824e73790f5b645c9740cffafb 1... 8/12/2010 Exhibit C Grant Application APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL ASSISTANCE Modified Standard Form 424 (Rev.02/07 to confirm to the Corporation's eGrants System) 1. TYPE OF SUBMISSION: - Construction Application X Non 2a. DATE SUBMITTED TO CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE (CNCS): 2b. APPLICATION ID: 10AC107482 3. DATE RECEIVED BY STATE: 29- OCT -09 STATE APPLICATION IDENTIFIER: 4. DATE RECEIVED BY FEDERAL AGENCY: FEDERAL IDENTIFIER: 06ACHIA0010007 5. APPLICATION INFORMATION LEGAL NAME: City of Dubuque DUNS NUMBER: 093105302 NAME AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PROJECT DIRECTOR OR OTHER PERSON TO BE CONTACTED ON MATTERS INVOLVING THIS APPLICATION (give area codes): NAME: Penny Ehlinger TELEPHONE NUMBER: (563) 584 -8644 FAX NUMBER: (563) 584 -8643 INTERNET E -MAIL ADDRESS: Penny.Ehlinger @clarke.edu ADDRESS (give street address, city, state, zip code and county): City of Dubuque 1805 Central Dubuque IA 52001 - 3610 County: Dubuque 6. EMPLOYER IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (EIN): 426004596 7. TYPE OF APPLICANT: 7a. Local Government - Municipal 7b. Local Government, Municipal 8. TYPE OF APPLICATION (Check appropriate box). NEW n NEW /PREVIOUS 1 X 1 CONTINUATION I AMENDMENT If Amendment, enter appropriate letter(s) in box(es): A. AUGMENTATION B. BUDGET REVISION C. NO COST EXTENSION D. OTHER (specify GRANTEE below): 9. NAME OF FEDERAL AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service 10a. CATALOG OF FEDERAL DOMESTIC ASSISTANCE NUMBER:94.006 10b. TITLE: AmeriCorps State 11.a. DESCRIPTIVE TITLE OF APPLICANT'S PROJECT: Partners in Leaming AmeriCorps Program 11.b. CNCS PROGRAM INITIATIVE (IF ANY): 12. AREAS AFFECTED BY PROJECT (List Cities, Counties, States, etc): City of Dubuque, Dubuque County, State of Iowa 13. PROPOSED PROJECT: START DATE: 09/01/10 END DATE: 08/31/11 14. CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF: a.Applicant I IA 001 I b.Program 11A 0011 15. ESTIMATED FUNDING: Year #: 3 16. IS APPLICATION ORDER 12372 PROCESS? SUBJECT TO REVIEW BY STATE EXECUTIVE /APPLICATION WAS MADE AVAILABLE STATE EXECUTIVE ORDER 12372 PROCESS FOR ON: IS NOT COVERED BY E.O. 12372 a. FEDERAL $ 210,587.00 • YES. THIS PREAPPLICATION TO THE REVIEW DATE: b. APPLICANT $ 150,869.00 c. STATE $ 0.00 d. LOCAL $ 0.00 © NO. PROGRAM e. OTHER $ 0.00 17. IS THE APPLICANT DELINQUENT ON ANY FEDERAL DEBT? III YES if "Yes," attach an explanation. ® NO f. PROGRAM INCOME $ 0.00 g. TOTAL $ 361,456.00 18. TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE AND BELIEF, ALL DATA IN THIS APPLICATION /PREAPPLICATION ARE TRUE AND CORRECT, THE DOCUMENT HAS BEEN DULY AUTHORIZED BY THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE APPLICANT AND THE APPLICANT WILL COMPLY WITH THE ATTACHED ASSURANCES IF THE ASSISTANCE IS AWARDED. a. TYPED NAME OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: Penny Ehlinger b. TITLE: Program Director c. TELEPHONE NUMBER: (563) 584 -8644 d. SIGNATURE OF AUTHORIZED REPRESENTATIVE: e. DATE SIGNED: 05/05/10 PARTI - FACE SHEET Page 1 For Official Use Only Narratives Rationale and Approach Compelling Community Need: Dubuque school officials are encouraged by results on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills and Iowa Tests of Educational Development showing improved achievement in mathematics, and strong performance in science and social studies. However, the Dubuque district continues to face challenges in improving reading performances. Across the district, teachers, principals, and curriculum staff are examining results on a student -by- student basis to determine exactly how best to address reading deficiencies or lack of reading strategies and to determine appropriate teaching interventions for each student. Many of these deficiencies have been identified as directly related to the influx of minorities immigrating into the community. Dubuque Community School district received 188 new elementary, 129 new junior high, and 77 new senior high school students during the 2007 -2008 school year. According to school administration, many of these students come from housing projects that have closed in Chicago, Milwaukee, and Madison. To address this need, the Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program will act as an intermediary agency to remove barriers to learning that will lead to the development of linkages with many other community partners. It is our intent to significantly increase our partnerships with those who are serving this disadvantaged or underserved population. These would include the Presentation Lantern Center, Downtown schools, Multicultural Family Center, Leisure Services, St. Mark Community Center, and Four Mounds. In July 2006, a Youth Survey was conducted by Vernon Research Group which revealed the following statistics: 8% of local 6th graders do not believe that adults in the community care about people their age. 21% of 8th graders and 36% of nth graders feel the same way; 16% of 6th graders, 32% of 8th graders and 42% of nth graders do not believe that adults in their neighborhood or community would help them when they needed it; 17% of nth graders reported having made plans to kill themselves For Official Use Only Page 2 For Official Use Only Narratives compared to the state average of 14 %; and youth are spending 6 or more hours a day without adult supervision. Juvenile violent crime and juvenile arrests in Dubuque are 15% higher than the state average. The graduation rate of students in the Dubuque Community School district is 85.2% compared to a state average of 91 %. By increasing partnerships and collaborating, these needs can be addressed by the Program. Dubuque is a community whose inhabitants are overwhelmingly of Irish and German ancestry. Many of our residents have been in the community for generations and have had limited contact with people of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. It is only a few short years ago when Dubuque County's ethnic population was 2 %. In recent years, we have seen an increasing population of color in our city, such that today one of every nine children in our public school system is a child of color. Two initiatives that this grant program will increase their efforts towards are the Presentation Lantern Center and the Multicultural Family Center. As of September 2007, the Presentation Lantern Center has welcomed visitors who represent 28 countries, five continents, and 18 languages. Newcomers come for to the Center seeking tutoring in English, for survival skills in a new country, and /or help with the citizenship test. The AmeriCorps Members who volunteer at the Presentation Lantern Center are "cultural brokers" who help visitors understand American culture. In addition to tutoring, volunteers at the center assist with some healthcare issues and a variety of literacy skills including counting U.S. money, reading local maps and the bus schedules, ordering food from an American menu, and cooking with a non - metric oven. They also address such things as wind chill factor, wearing seat belts, using sunscreen, and appropriate times to call 911. The Presentation Lantern Center works specifically with women and mothers with small children as a neighborhood resource center. The Multicultural Family Center (MFC) was established to provide a space for low resource families to congregate and socialize without a financial cost and to provide outreach services to minority families. For Official Use Only Page 3 For Official Use Only Narratives The center is one of the few public facilities for families in the Washington area low income neighborhood. More specifically, the MFC provides assistance, opportunities, and resources for immigrant and diverse populations to facilitate full community participation in this neighborhood. In July 2005, the Multicultural Family Center opened its doors to the public. Since that time, the Multicultural Family Center has developed a two pronged approach in providing service to the community. The first avenue of current regular services include: English as Second Language (ESL) tutoring, family events, movie nights (every Friday), free internet access (14 computers available), employment counseling, homework help for local students, student and family mentoring, a comprehensive community informational center, and a meeting place for other groups who do not have their own permanent space. The NAACP is using the MFC as their meeting place, Northeast Iowa Community College is teaching ESL as well as parenting and nutrition classes during the mornings three days per week. The second avenue of service provided by the Multicultural Family Center is community education on diversity and multicultural issues, as well as concerns of low income families. The community has grown in their knowledge and concepts of the Multicultural Family Center's mission and goals, including the needs of the overall low income community. During the two years of operation, 1,257 different individuals have entered the doors of the Multicultural Family Center on 1340 White Street in downtown Dubuque. In 2007, the total contacts at the MFC were 7, 884 visits and included 6, 544 youth and 1, 34o adults. Contacts continue to be approximately 1/3 African American, 1/3 Hispanic and 1/3 Caucasian with a few Pacific Island of Marshallese individuals coming into the Center. Members continue to provide community service as part of Make a Difference Day, and Martin Luther King Day as well as during special community service projects. As needed, Members respond to immediate community needs such as sandbagging for the flood of 2001. Members chaperone youth dances, mentor at Girl Scout day camp, provide children games at the Chili Cook -off, and work Special Olympics events. Members have also provided service by picking up trash in downtown at neighborhood For Official Use Only Page 4 For Official Use Only Narratives clean -ups and assisted with a used book drive. The Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program continues to do these community service events to provide more "Corps" opportunities to Members. Description of Activities and Member Roles: The Partners in Learning Program continues to be multi- faceted to address an at -risk, diverse population and build upon the strengths of youth, families and the community by bringing together resources from across the community as an intermediary agency. Program staff includes two, grant funded positions of Director and Intermediary Partnership staff with Personnel, Fiscal and Program Administration by City of Dubuque. To address the grant goal to increase academic performance, 53 AmeriCorps Members will provide in- school, before school and after- school academic tutoring and summer learning opportunities (Caring Adults). The majority of Members are part time, quarter time and minimum time because Dubuque is a City of five colleges and one community college. The positions lend themselves well to the busy schedules of college students who still want to perform a valuable, worthwhile service. Member services will be conducted at 19 sites under the overall direction of the Program Director. On school playgrounds and neighborhoods where youth have few supervised options when not in school, AmeriCorps Members will provide after - school summer cultural and recreational activities. The full -time, part-time and quarter time Member positions are designed to develop social and behavioral skills as well as provide academic enrichment (Safe Places). To increase the impact of the program and fulfill the Five Promises to Youth, AmeriCorps Members will have an increased presence at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (Marketable Skills and A Healthy Start), the Presentation Lantern Center, St. Mark Community Center, Four Mounds, and the Multicultural Family Center (Opportunities to Serve). Members can provide ESL classes, tutoring, homework help, family programming and activities as well as volunteer opportunities and volunteer management for community service activities. In- school and after school tutoring provided by Members For Official Use Only Page 5 For Official Use Only Narratives may be one -on -one or small group for all grade levels and may happen within the classroom or in a separate quiet space. Students will be assigned to a Member by their teacher who has determined the student is in need of additional support. Academic assistance ranges from study /homework help with math facts and spelling words to specialized one -on -one support to make a concept clearer or correct past errors. On average, sessions are 45 minutes, 3 times a week. The actual length of the session varies by school, setting, and student needs /abilities /age. Members reinforce and practice what the teacher has taught using the same type of activities with students. Academic tutor activities are conducted as part of the school district's implementation of No Child Left Behind. Training is provided by the school district and Members, who tutor must demonstrate adequate reading and math skills. Members complete 45 hours of training during the year. The training focuses on the five areas the National Reading Panel has identified as necessary for reading success. Teachers who receive assistance from Members receive training that parallels the five components during district staff development time. Planning at the school level occurs weekly with the Members to identify which students need help in which specific area of reading. Specific strategies to assist the student are outlined by the teacher for the Member. All Members in the Program have a high school diploma with the majority being college or graduate students. Members receive math, reading and behavioral training by qualified, professional educators during initial mandatory training and ongoing training at the site is provided by site supervisors who are education administrators and /or classroom teachers. Members document all tutoring activities, including the process and progress of each session. The outcomes of tutoring are tracked via a survey of Teachers and Members regarding reading and math academic skills, as well as behavioral skill changes. In determining needs, aggregated standard tests scores were reviewed. Using multiple assessments the school district has established the goal for each student to read at grade level by the end of the school year. The assessments used include standardized test scores, diagnostic assessments, and curriculum based assessment to measure student performance in phonemic For Official Use Only Page 6 For Official Use Only Narratives awareness, phonics, text comprehension, vocabulary, and fluency. As the schools solidify these methods, AmeriCorps may have new sources of outcome data and evaluation tools. Students will be grouped by age and developmental level so activities can be appropriately targeted. Activities will be developed using community agencies and school expertise and curricula, which incorporate social and behavioral skill building. Members are paired with service providers and will be planning and providing activities in conjunction with the site supervisor. Members focusing on cultural enrichment activities will coordinate music, dance, drama, and art opportunities. The majority of these Members are summer goo hour positions. Recreational activities are structured to develop social skills and may have an educational component (i.e. science projects). Members will document attendance at cultural /recreational activities with outcomes assessed through teacher and Member reports of changes in social and behavioral skills. AmeriCorps Members at the Multicultural Family Center will assist with education and language skills. A computer lab is available with computers donated by City of Dubuque, Workforce Development, and the Dubuque School District. This lab has Internet access, a web cam for communicating with other countries, and Rosetta Stone computer programs for learning both English and Spanish. In addition, an education classroom is provided through a partnership with Northeast Iowa Community College (NICC). Two times a week staff from NICC provides English as Second Language and Adult Basic Education classes to adults. Local college students and AmeriCorps Members will be utilized as language instructors and continue these efforts. The Multicultural Family Center (MFC) mission statement is to empower diverse individuals and families by promoting personal growth and community engagement. All of the services at the MFC are free to its users and provided by the grant staff, volunteers, and AmeriCorps Members. Low and moderate income youth and families are benefiting from the free computer internet opportunities, the educational resources, and English as Second Language programs. They are also benefiting from being empowered to become involved in their community through the organizations located at and through For Official Use Only Page 7 For Official Use Only Narratives the connections to outreach and resources at the MFC. The cornerstone of the Multicultural Family Center is breaking new ground within the community in promoting understanding among the diverse population of Dubuque. On a typical day you can see adults and children from different cultures seated at a computer side -by -side. The Multicultural Family Center is seeking innovative ways to build cross - cultural collaboration and civic engagement around issues of diversity. The Center has been an avenue to explore the needs of families of all backgrounds in our community, drawing people together and into active civic life. Building bridges of understanding and education about cultures are necessary steps in order to create a truly inclusive community. Dubuque School District reported in October 2007, that the number of students requiring help learning basic English has climbed more than 5o percent. About 45 percent of the students in the ELL program are immigrants from Pacific Islands and speak Marshallese. Spanish - speaking students make up 42 percent and students who speak Chinese, Bosnian, French and other native tongues also are represented in Dubuque's classrooms. This is an exciting thing as it shows an increase in diversity but it is also a struggle. AmeriCorps Members are helping these students adapt to life in an English - speaking classroom as well as offering social and academic programming at the Multicultural Family Center. The Center is truly on the cutting edge of this movement and desperately needs to continue if long - lasting impact is to be made. We are convinced that this new stage in Dubuque's life will truly enrich the community if approached correctly and as soon as possible. AmeriCorps Members are needed to work vigorously involving all facets of the community in these efforts, from local businesses to the university /college systems to the city government to the neighborhoods. It is a reality that Dubuque is diversifying. This is a reality no one can deny, and our goal is to help make it a positive experience and help with the process of change in whatever way possible. The Multicultural Family Center will be a referral location for the Immigrants Rights Network, The Presentation Lantern Center, and a permanent location for the local branch of the NAACP. In addition, For Official Use Only Page 8 For Official Use Only Narratives families and youth programming includes cultural education, game and movie nights, field trips, community service projects, concert in park. The Multicultural Family Center hosts ethnic and cultural celebrations such as Kwanzaa, Juneteenth, and Lunar New Year. All of these initiatives utilize community volunteers and AmeriCorps Members will assist as we develop a core of volunteers for these services. Measurable Outputs and Outcomes: For grades K -12th Members will provide academic tutoring during school and after school. There will be in- school academic tutor /mentoring for 4,000 students at 9 public elementary schools, 3 Middle Schools, and 3 High Schools. There will be after - school academic tutoring which includes homework help with 30o students at six elementary schools, and three middle schools. There will be academic tutoring for 10o students during summer Jumpstart to enable students to receive advance knowledge before beginning the fall semester of Kindergarten. Summer activities will be provided to 500 K -6th grade students. Activities will be designed to develop social and behavioral skills and academic development during the school year and the summer enrichment programs. Seventy percent of children who participate and receive services, and for whom we have data from comparative progress reports will demonstrate positive changes in their social skills, and demonstrate a decrease in the number of disciplinary interventions. Seventy percent of students, for whom data is collected, will improve or maintain in their performance of reading and math based on the criteria of "improved slightly or significant improvement." Fifteen education award only positions will increase sustainability as partners will be paying for living allowance stipends. In addition next year, Members will recruit and support 24o community volunteers with a goal of 3,000 hours of service. Plan for Self- Assessment and Improvement: Attendance Logs are documented and submitted biweekly by Members and at Academic Year End. For Official Use Only Page 9 For Official Use Only Narratives Outcome Evaluation Logs by Members and Teachers will track tutoring achievements and results. The Program Director makes site visits at mid term for Member evaluations and requires an end of placement evaluation to determine progress towards goals and completion of program requirements. During the mid -term interview with the Member and site supervisor, the Director conducts an evaluation and opens the discussion to address any other issues or concerns. Members are also asked to complete a confidential evaluation of their site supervisor. Beyond these formal contacts there is ongoing support available to site supervisors and Members through the AmeriCorps Director and Intermediary Partnership Coordinator. In addition continued consultation with the Extension Children, Youth & Families at Risk (CYFAR) National Evaluator will review outcome tools to determine logic model planning evaluation changes. The AmeriCorps Director has regular contact with site supervisors through site visits and through the completion of bi- monthly reports. To increase citizenship knowledge and ensure AmeriCorps Members have the skills to perform their duties, Member development, training and community service activities are provided by the Program Director, the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, and at placement sites. A Member handbook, which documents requirements, prohibited activities and expectations, is provided and reviewed during training for each Member. For recruitment purposes, the Program Director works closely with Iowa Workforce Development. On a state level, Members and grant staff participate yearly in the Iowa Volunteer Conference and the Iowa Leadership Conference. In addition, the Director participates in Mississippi Valley Promise, the Martin Luther King Diversity Committee, the Dubuque Mentoring Partnership, is a past Commissioner on the Dubuque Human Rights Commission, and the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service. Community Involvement: In May 2007, in conjunction with the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque and Mississippi For Official Use Only Page 10 For Official Use Only Narratives Valley Promise, community members, organizations and partners convened a new community initiative - Every Child, Every Promise. The Dubuque America's Promise mission of Every Child Every Promise is to engage the entire community in building a concrete commitment to deliver every promise to every child. To address these needs and the goals of Every Child Every Promise, the Program is seeking to focus on all of the Five Promises to Youth: Caring Adults, Safe Places, A Healthy Start, Marketable Skills, and Opportunities to Serve. America's Promise vision states "we believe every child deserves a chance to succeed, even when it is against all odds." We know that it will take all of us working together to make that possible. This grant and continuing new partnerships will allow for commitment to mobilizing all sections and every interested individual in Dubuque County to ensure that every child has, at a minimum, five fundamental resources (the Five Promises). Over the next three years, our goal is to carry out the following objectives, with measurable results that have been identified by America's Promise communities and provide impact that is greater than individual organizations could achieve: 1. Secure commitments from partners (current and new) -- Examples of current partners that will expand is Presentation Lantern and Multicultural Family Center which will increase community education on diversity and support to newcomers. An example of a new partner will be the Great Midwestern Educational Theatre Company whose mission is to promote learning and engage the creative spirit in children of all ages by presenting relevant, thought- and - emotion provoking experiences in the theatre arts. Many of our disadvantaged and under served individuals desperately need these resources and experiences. 2. Encourage meaningful collaboration across sectors (business, government, city, human service and education) -- The changes and expansion being proposed will bring about a more meaningful collaboration. Dubuque County Extension will continue to provide educational resources and Member training Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque will increase our business connection and For Official Use Only Page 11 For Official Use Only Narratives community engagement through the visioning and prioritization process of strategic planning. A new program administrator as well as personnel and fiscal services through the City of Dubuque is adding increased accounting, fiscal reporting, and involvement of local elected officials. These new partners will strengthen the Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program. 3. Raise awareness of the status of children in Dubuque County and the power of the Five Promises to make a difference - The Teen Leadership Council (TLC) now called the YAPPER's (Youth Area Philanthropists) is an advisory board of the Community Foundation established to teach young people about their duty to give back to the community in which they live. This advisory youth board consists of 20+ students from area high schools who work to assess the needs of youth in the Dubuque Area. These needs are then addressed through various service projects and strategic grant making that benefits local nonprofit organizations working to support in -need youth. The Empty Bowls Project is an example of one of the youth board's service and grant - making projects. The goal of Empty Bowls is to create awareness of child hunger while generating money that is granted to nonprofit organizations working towards combating local child hunger. The YAPPER's meet twice a month to engage in leadership and team - building activities to explore the many forms and ideas of philanthropy, to conduct research about the needs within Dubuque land's youth, to participate in the full grant - making process, and to have some fun. This group has been a joint effort of the Community Foundation and AmeriCorps that can provide a voice for youth in our community. Relationship to other National and Community Service Programs: A VISTA Member, through the Program, procured grant funding through the City of Dubuque for the birth and startup funding of the Multicultural Family Center. The Program Director is a past member of the local RSVP Advisory Board collaborating together to recruit community mentors /tutors for local school programs. The Program Director offers support and training and recruitment to Members placed with the Governor's After School initiative at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, Campus Compact at Loras For Official Use Only Page 12 For Official Use Only Narratives College, Iowa Legal Aid, and Promise Fellows at the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. These are all AmeriCorps State Programs in the State of Iowa which have placed AmeriCorps Members in Dubuque. In addition, the Program works closely with and supports the National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) Members placed each summer with the Dubuque National Mississippi River Museum. Potential for Replication: Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program has served for seven years as a model for other Iowa tutoring programs. It is our goal during the next three years to undertake a few, focused, powerful initiatives that create "flywheel momentum ". America's Promise defines "flywheel momentum" as attracting believers, building strength, and creating vision that will in turn attract more believers. The new collaboration between Dubuque County Extension, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, and City of Dubuque is strengthening the Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program. These three partners will deliver superior performance, have a distinctive impact, and ensure a program that can be sustained through community support and possible grant funding. The tie to Dubuque Mississippi Valley Promise will increase replication strategies as we will be learning about the success that other communities have had in delivering the Five Promises to youth. Member Outputs and Outcomes Member Recruitment & Support: As an Intermediary Agency, Partners in Learning will require and depend on those partners to help in the recruitment as well as the training of new Members. Other sources of Member recruitment will include the on -line recruitment process, cooperation with other Iowa state AmeriCorps program and the City of Dubuque Access Dubuque job site. Contacts are also provided by current and past Members, family members of students served by AmeriCorps, and contacts with the Dubuque Human Rights Commission and targeted minority populations. Members are recruited locally through Clarke College, Loras College, Northeast Iowa Community College, University of Dubuque (and seminary), Emmaus For Official Use Only Page 13 For Official Use Only • Narratives Bible College, and Wartburg Seminary. Colleges have offered credit to students, and free housing during summer and holiday breaks. Summer recruitment efforts include an e-mail message to all Iowa State University students and current Member contacts. An annual news article assists in reaching a wide audience of age groups and backgrounds, as do speaking engagements at local service clubs and contacts made by current staff, committee and Members. All recruitment and marketing materials have inclusive statements such as 'Minorities and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply." Accommodations are made to assure access and support to all applicants and Members. Since inception, the Program has had a minimum of three Members each year with disabilities. Once Members are placed, reasonable accommodations are made to retain Members who disclose disability needs. Evaluation of the accessibility of all sites has been completed and recommendations have been made in accordance with compliance. All interviews, training, and required group activities are held at accessible sites. A mix of Members from all religious, ethnic, age, and gender groups results in an enriched experience for youth and families Beyond recruiting within the community, partnerships with the colleges provide us access to this level of diversity. We seek more diversity in our program than there is in the resident Dubuque population. Recruitment focuses on selecting Members with skills that match our focus areas: Academic teaching skills especially reading and math (all Members are high school graduates), ability to work with volunteers, able to creatively present learning activities, able to develop activities and work from a curriculum, sensitivity to developmental needs of children, and a strong appreciation for diversity and multiculturalism. Tutors must meet the standards set by the school district per Iowa and Corporation for National and Community Service rules. Cultural and recreational activities require Members who have the ability to lead groups of youth, to tailor activities to differing skill /ability levels, to work from a curriculum and work with staff to develop activities. Members with specific skills in dance, music, For Official Use Only Page 14 For Official Use Only Narratives drama, art, and recreation are channeled to those areas. Additionally, it is expected that Members are responsible individuals who successfully complete a state criminal background check and child abuse background check, are interested in service to others, have strong interest in working with the targeted students, are committed to building upon their personal strengths as well as the strengths of others, and possess a desire to work toward self - development. All potential Members submit an application and complete an interview with the Director. Upon demonstrating sincere interest in providing academic tutoring or providing cultural and recreational enrichment activities to the target population, a commitment to the goals of being an AmeriCorps Member, the willingness to complete training and the flexibility to provide direct service and complete community service projects, the Member is invited to a placement fair. At the fair, similar to a job fair, Members can meet and interview with a number of site supervisors. This also allows sites to see the array of skilled Members and increases the likelihood that strong placements are made and retention is successfully achieved. Site supervisors in conjunction with the Director make offers of placements. The Director is key in developing plans to share Members between sites, linking Member talents to specific projects and finalizing all placements. All Members receive living allowances which is at the 85/15 cost share with CNCS and partners as recommended by the Corporation. Education award only Members receive these same living allowance dollars from site placements as we strive to be equitable to all Members. Member Development, Training, and Supervision: The Director meets with site supervisor, principals /executive directors, and attends staff meetings to introduce the AmeriCorps program. During these meetings the role of the Members and the role of the site supervisors are discussed. Data collection procedures are reviewed and training is provided for teachers who will be providing outcome data and to site supervisors who oversee the documentation of For Official Use Only Page 15 For Official Use Only Narratives Member activities and time logs. All Members participate in initial mandatory training that includes strength based programming, how to tutor in math and reading, behavioral /instructional management, appropriate discipline with students, team work, working with volunteers, and motivating self and others. In addition Members complete a self - knowledge assessment, develop and set personal and skill - related goals with the Director, and begin their portfolio. Members are trained in all the reporting tools and a number of curricula. During this training Members become close as a group and develop a relationship with grant staff. Each Member receives a basic level of leadership and team building training at the beginning of their term. Upon reaching their placement site, Members receive orientation and training that is specific to that site. For example: City of Dubuque Leisure Services orients Members on playground equipment and checkout procedures. Beyond the initial training, additional training is provided during the school year and summer. Those who will be tutor /mentors receive academic training from the school district providing curriculum support skills specific to the five components identified by the National Reading Panel as discussed earlier. Members providing cultural and recreational enrichment receive additional training in developmentally appropriate and positive discipline, specific curriculum instruction (e.g., Science Fun, Growing in the Garden), creative arts playground ideas, and facilitation of family nights and parents. Team development and volunteer recruitment and management skills are strengthened during monthly training sessions and community service projects. Members also recruit, train, and coordinate with private and public service partners to complete three special community service projects as a "Corps ". These one day community service events include October Make a Difference Day, Martin Luther King Day, and National Volunteer Service Day. Ethic of Service and Civic Responsibility: Members are required to attend citizenship training totaling approximately 4 hours, provided by For Official Use Only Page 16 For Official Use Only Narratives program staff during their term of service. Members show a 78.6% of increase in civic engagement knowledge, attitude, and skills from the beginning of service to end. Through the use of "By the People ", Members study our nation's social and political history. Training focuses on critical thinking and deliberating with others to make a just society. Reflections and team discussions on these issues are For Official Use Only Page 17 based on the premise that one needs to know "why" citizenship is important and how to recognize those elements. Members are introduced to skills that are necessary to monitor and influence civic life, such as the ability to work with others and express ideas. Members provide an action plan based on their new skills and knowledge of engagement. This training engages returning and past Members as co- trainers. Members come to an understanding of civic responsibility first -hand through community service. As needed, Members respond to immediate community needs such as sandbagging for the flood of 2001. Members have chaperoned a youth dance, mentored at Girl Scout day camp, worked Special Olympics events, and provided games and activities at community events such as the Chili Cook -off. Members have also provided service by picking up trash at neighborhood clean -ups and assisted with used book drives. The Program has noted during Member exit interviews, that Members usually comment on their positive experience of volunteer service -- and the fact that they plan to participate in service as a continuing part of their life. Many Members, who are attending college, decide on their vocation as a result of their term of service by considering teaching, social work or counseling. Enrollment & Retention: Goal setting directs the development activities of the Member completed through contacts with the site supervisor and attending training offered through the program or accessed through other sources (including placement site). Members attend monthly large group meetings that allow time to check in on their personal and professional development goals. Members document their progress and the impact of their work in a portfolio of their accomplishments. This portfolio includes pictures, work products, For Official Use Only Narratives success stories, and journals of personal insights. At the end of their term, portfolios are posted to the program web site http:// www .extension.iastate.edu /dubuque. This documents that Members leave the program with a deeper self - awareness, a sense of their strengths and knowledge of their growth during the term of service. Members have made career decisions based on their experiences and some have developed such a strong link that they have changed their plans to leave this community. Retention rate for 2004 -2005 was 98% with recruitment at 94 %; 2005 -2006 retention was 94% and recruitment was loo %; 2006 -2007 retention was 92% with recruitment at loo %, so Member satisfaction is noted and seen as a high priority. In 2006 -07, one Member did not complete because of relocating, one because of health issues, one because of termination and one because of failure to honor the terms of the Member contract. Community Outputs and Outcomes With this grant, Partners in Learning will continue to act as an intermediary agency to further collaborate with partners and stakeholders in the Dubuque community. The Program has been networking with Mississippi Valley Promise since inception to provide a broader base of services for children in the community through the incorporation of the Five Promises for Youth. A further partnership and administration through the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque and the initiative of Every Child, Every Promise will result in a bigger pool of stakeholders and the formulation of youth philanthropy and the resultant benefits. Now is the time to expand and increase sustainability by involving new partners and building on our past successes. During the 2006 -2007 academic year, Members provided academic tutoring to a total of 2,961 students during school and 312 students after school engaging one -on -one or in small groups for 1 -3 hours per week. Members at 13 sites during school and 4 after school sites enabled students to improve or maintain in the academic areas of reading and math. Assessments were provided by both Members and teachers. Three Hundred and Forty -seven students were evaluated by their teachers. Elementary For Official Use Only Page 18 For Official Use Only Narratives students, who received academic tutoring from Members, improved their reading ability by 74 %. Teacher evaluation of middle school students and high school students showed that 63% and 8o% improved their reading skills. In math, elementary students showed, through teacher evaluation that 63% improved. Teacher evaluation of middle school students and high school students showed that l00% and 63% improved their math skills. By comparison, elementary students were also evaluated by Members; 100% of those 91% improved their reading ability. Member evaluation of middle school students and high school students showed that 77% and 46% improved in reading skills. In math, elementary students were evaluated by Members and 85% of those improved. Member evaluation of middle school students showed that l00% improved; evaluation of high school students reported that 3% improved their math skills. Although the percentage of students on the high school level did not meet the targeted 7o% improvement in math, overall the remaining number (which was the larger group) closely met, in most cases, the desired achievement /result. In comparison, for a two year period from 2004 -05 and 2005 -06, reading scores indicated 95% of the 155 students served improved or maintained; in math 90% of the students improved or maintained. During 2006 -07, evaluation /performance only measured improvement, not maintaining, so the percentages were understandably lower. The total number of beneficiaries served by Members in the Partners in Learning Program through recreational, cultural and summer programming in 2006 -2007 was 5662 children. AmeriCorps Members provided 510 hours of academic tutoring through a summer Kindergarten Jumpstart Readiness program to 257 children in 13 public schools. Pre -Post outcomes provided by teachers indicated that students increased by 25 points (12 %) their ability to speak in sentences; 32 points (15 %) in ability to socialize with peers; 22 points (11 %) in ability to follow simple directions; 23 points (11 %) able to work at quiet sitting activity for 15 minutes at a time; and 3o points (14 %) able to transition from home to school. For Official Use Only Page 19 For Official Use Only Narratives During seven years of the Partners in Learning program, reporting methods have been perfected and refined. Outcomes have steadily improved and Members and Teachers take a greater responsibility in the final reporting. In addition, summer activities continue to increase and have started to involve a larger and more diverse population. Since 2000, Members have provided supervised recreational and cultural activities that have reached 3o, 358youth (K -6) at schools and playgrounds. Activities during the 2007 summer program sponsored 10 off site trolley trips that included Swiss Valley Nature Center, Water Carnival, Dubuque Arboretum, the Children's Petting Zoo and weekly Dubuque Leisure Service activities. Each year Members complete personal development goals and portfolios of their experiences and achieve certification in CPR, First Aid, universal precautions, and child abuse reporting. Since the inception of the program, l00% of Members showed pre- to post -test increases in knowledge as a result of training provided. All Members receive a mid -term and exit performance evaluation. In addition, Members are required to evaluate their site supervisors and program director. This information is summarized and used yearly to improve and make changes in the overall program design. The program has seen a steady increase of new community volunteers, business, and agency partnerships and hours of service. The year 2006 -07 saw the engagement of 193 volunteers who provided a total of 7,990 volunteer hours. The Program's volunteer goal is to sustain volunteers in ongoing service as well reach new volunteers for occasional community service projects. In the upcoming three years, Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program, acting as an Intermediary Agency, will continue to engage additional agencies and organizations. This expansion will allow for addressing the needs of more disadvantaged youth and families and the continued engagement of new community volunteers. Moving together with the Mississippi Valley Promise initiative and the community needs For Official Use Only Page 20 For Official Use Only Narratives assessment and new strategic planning and prioritization of needs the time is right to reach out to new partners and increase sustainability by community engagement. The Partners in Learning program can build on the past successes of the Caring Adults and Safe Places Promises as well as adding new emphasis to A Healthy Start, Marketable Skills and Opportunities to Serve Promises. Ongoing volunteer recruitment remains a priority so as to enable sustainability of the services now provided. As the net of partners and collaboration with area organizations grows wider, the likelihood of increasing non - AmeriCorps volunteers becomes higher. Each year, the Program has exceeded its goals in Member recruitment and retention, the number of children served and in exceeding the 70% goal of student improvement in the academic areas of reading and /or math. Sustainability: The Partners in Learning program has established a diversity of funding and revenue sources, which includes other public and private funding streams. These streams come to the program indirectly through its partners. Each partner hosting an AmeriCorps Member provides funding and a site supervisor. Funds from the City of Dubuque's Leisure Services, public library, and neighborhood budgets support Member positions. A neighborhood association in a low- income census tract writes for 4 separate city grants annually to access $8,000 to support Member activities at 3 schools and 3 playgrounds. Schools have used a complex mix of grants, categorical funding streams and PTA raised funds to support their Members. The Dubuque Community Y charges fees for their after- school and non - school day programming to fund their Members, but also offers a number of scholarships. The Arboretum (community -based non - profit) provides 25 summer garden spaces and funds their Members. The Trolley (family owned business) provides rides to the Arboretum, library, fishing experiences, and field trips at a greatly reduced rate. Thrivent provides Search Institute Asset training, the Solid Waste Agency provides funds for program supplies, private businesses provide reduced rates For Official Use Only Page 21 For Official Use Only Narratives for outreach and field trips and the Department of Natural Resources provides poles for fishing and funds for bait. Additionally partnerships provide other in -kind resources to the program. The four colleges and community college have become a strong source of Member recruitment by offering college credit and allowing the term of service to be considered an internship or practicum experience. School counselors, teachers and administrators, American Red Cross, Extension, and local college staff provide elements of training To increase long term sustainability, efforts are being made to collaborate with the area college work study programs and other non -profit community agencies reaching vulnerable youth. Our ability to offer increased education award only positions provides superior incentives to Members and sustainability to the Program. Through our partnering with institutions of higher learning, it will be possible to offer work study incentive and an education award that would continue to entice Members. We continue to increase our efficiencies and expand the number of volunteers involved, allowing the program to grow in its capacity to provide services. Dollar match from sites has been increased from 15 to 2o% and each year we are increasing the private financial support from businesses and additional partners. The Partners in Learning program and other community partners are collaborating to write supporting grants to further expand and maintain services. Other areas that will be explored for local funding include Carver, McElroy, John Deere, Alliant Energy, Prudential, and the Wahlert Foundations. Volunteer Recruitment and Support: Volunteers can play a vital role in making a difference. One volunteer during January through March 2006 at the Multicultural Family Center aided Spanish speaking families and new immigrants in the long and confusing process of filing tax returns with state and federal tax agencies. This was an incredible service to the community which has not had this type of help offered to them previously. One hundred twenty -two new individuals came to the Multicultural Family Center for this service. As For Official Use Only Page 22 For Official Use Only Narratives workers in our community, they are entitled to tax refunds when having paid out of their weekly wages. However, they are often times taken advantage of because of the language barrier and not knowing the laws and how they pertain to them. The accomplishment of this tax assistance is simple to understand and has made a difference in many families from this community. Additional volunteers are needed to help individuals to learn Spanish as well as English for those who it is not their primary language. Dubuque County is a great place to live because of the contributions of many volunteers. However, many times it is difficult to match the time and talents of a volunteer to a specific organization or event. Our plan is have interested community agencies, team with Woodward Internet Services (WINS) to provide a Dubuque County Volunteer Web site to address this issue. Each organization or group offering volunteer opportunities would be able to post their volunteer position description on the Web site for all volunteers to browse. The benefits to this idea are endless. A potential volunteer will be able to access the internet site and browse by interest category or submit a volunteer resume for organizations to view. The Web site will provide new volunteers for organizations or groups and new opportunities for volunteers. This web site would offer 24 hour volunteer recruitment and the Partners in Learning program and its partner organizations and groups would be portrayed as a community that values its volunteers and understands the importance of providing service to others. One hundred ninety three community volunteers were recruited and trained to serve during 2006 -2007 program year providing 7,990 hours of service. Recruitment is facilitated by Members in the form of public service announcements, postings at area colleges and engagement of the faith /church communities. Some volunteers are recruited to do service hours at one of the three community service events (October Make A Difference Day, Martin Luther King Day, Volunteer Service Day); others are recruited to serve as tutors /mentors in the Dubuque Community Schools, Multicultural Family Center, Presentation Lantern Center, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque (YAPPERS), and St. Mark For Official Use Only Page 23 For Official Use Only Narratives Community Center. Members will not only recruit community volunteers but train, monitor, and serve as role models in their perspective sites. The goal is to provide more offerings in these areas as the volunteer pool increases. Volunteers can assist with language skills, student's homework, cultural or ethnic events as well as neighborhood projects. To implement these activities and increase the capacity of community -based organizations and groups, AmeriCorps members in 2008 -2009 will have the goal to recruit and support 24o volunteers with the goal of 3,000 hours of service. Capacity Building: The addition of AmeriCorps to the Dubuque Community School's before, during and after school programming has increased the quality by providing Members trained in a number of learning enrichment curricula. This has increased the attendance which has stabilized the funding. In a similar way, Members have increased the quantity, quality, and attendance at summer playground programs offered by Leisure Services. Members provide a safe place during the summer for 50+ children on Audubon playground from 9 a.m. to noon and 6 to 9 p.m. every Monday through Friday. In addition day workshops are provided weekly covering academic enrichment areas such as Growing in the Garden, Space and Flight, Food Safety, Spanish, Sign Language, and Multicultural studies. Members built upon the current capacity at St. Mark Community Center and as a result of Member volunteer recruitment efforts (35 volunteers) tutoring at St. Mark was expanded from twice a week to four days per week. Currently the program has expanded through a 21st Century Grant to three locations, where Members are placed, reaching additional students and volunteers with five days of programming. The Center also expanded to include the addition of an eight week summer camp. This was made possible because of Member placements. Members have increased the capacity of St. Mark in a number of other areas, beyond the expanded tutoring program. In 2000, St. Mark had only a director on staff. As a result of AmeriCorps, St. Mark has experienced an increase in donations and has a non- For Official Use Only Page 24 For Official Use Only Narratives Member staff of 3 full-time and 20 part- time. Members have initiated, coordinated, and offered activities in the after school program, weekend teen activities, Saturday art and music classes, and monthly family activities that have increased visibility and provided startup for new initiatives. An AmeriCorps VISTA with the Program worked in capacity building to secure funding for the startup of the Multicultural Family Center (MFC) which opened its doors in July 2005. Members serve as staff to do homework help, programming, and to recruit and engage volunteers. This MFC continues to grow in the number of people who seek services. The City of Dubuque, Workforce Development, Visiting Nurse Association, Northeast Iowa Community College, and others are working collaboratively to meet the needs to this growing population in the Dubuque community. The addition of AmeriCorps at the Dubuque Community Y enabled that agency to build a teen center available after school and evenings to middle school students. Members provide programming, educational curricula, homework help and mentoring to this previously underserved population in the community. The Community College and University of Dubuque are now able to provide scholarships to special needs children in their "College for Kids" programs, with AmeriCorps Members' assistance to support individual children and prevent class interruptions. AmeriCorps has enabled Martin Luther King Day activities to be provided to 2,000 youth over the past five years in conjunction with schools, the Carnegie Stout Public Library and 6o volunteers. AmeriCorps Members are an invaluable community resource available for community service. Organizational Capability The City of Dubuque is located on the Mississippi River in northeast Iowa. Dubuque was founded by Julien Dubuque in 1785 and is the oldest City in Iowa. The City of Dubuque has unique combination of old and new, ranging from cable cars, Victorian architecture, and a Civil War shot tower, to an enclosed shopping mall, riverboat casino, and a pari - mutual dog track with a slot machine casino. For Official Use Only Page 25 For Official Use Only Narratives Sound Organizational Structure & Sound Record of Accomplishment as an Organization: In order to increase resources for the Partners in Learning AmeriCorps program and increase sustainability a new three way partnership has been started. The partners include the City of Dubuque for grant administration, personnel, and fiscal responsibilities, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque who are spearheading the America' Promise vision and community commitment, and Dubuque County Extension who continue to provide education and curriculum resources. The first partner is the City of Dubuque which is a municipal corporation governed by an elected mayor and a six- member council. Council appointed officials and department managers who will be involved in the management of the AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Program are: Michael VanMilligen, City Manager; Randall Peck, Personnel Manager; David Harris, Community Development Manager; and Kenneth TeKippe, Finance Director as well as David Harris, Housing and Community Development Director. The City of Dubuque has a number of federal grant awards, including HUD, and in Fiscal Year 2006 successfully managed 11 5 million dollars of federal funds. David Harris will be the primary contact and has extensive skills in facilitating grants and contracts. The National Community Development Association recognized David Harris, Community and Development Manager, and the City of Dubuque with the Audrey Nelson Community Development Achievement Award for Dubuque Housing Education and Rehabilitation Training (HEART) Partnership. This award was presented for exemplary use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds that address the needs of low - income families and neighborhoods. Kenneth TeKippe, City Finance Director, will oversee accounting and fiscal management. In 2005 the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada presented the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award to the City of Dubuque and City staff for meeting the highest principles of governance and budgeting. In 2006, the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs named Dubuque as one of Iowa's Great Places. Recently, Dubuque was names as one of the 10 communities to earn the 2007 All- America City (AAC) national award title. Often referred to as For Official Use Only Page 26 For Official Use Only Narratives "the Nobel Prize of civic engagement," it is the oldest and most prestigious civic recognition competition in the nation. The winners were selected in part for their ability to engage a broad cross section of the community, including youth, business leaders, elected officials, city staff and nonprofit groups in civic dialogues leading to tangible results. The second partner is the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque which was formed on October 26, 2001. The Community Foundation had an active 2006 year partnering with 952 donors. Most notably, 47 new funds were established at the Foundation, and current donors made 710 gifts to the existing funds. Total assets on June 30, 2006 were 12.8 million. The Board of Directors of the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque is comprised of outstanding leaders from all sectors of the community who focus on improving the quality of life in Dubuque. President and CEO, Nancy VanMilligen's education, work experience and volunteer activities have afforded her a unique perspective that drives her passion for community building and making a difference in the lives of others. Among her leadership experiences is service as Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Clarke College, Area Administrator for the Iowa Citizens Foster Care Review Board, Chair of the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service, and Chair of the State of Iowa Empowerment Board. Nancy and the Community Foundation Board of Directors are spearheading the America's Promise local initiative of Every Child, Every Promise. This initiative serves to bring the entire community together into community conversations to raise awareness, identify and prioritize gaps in services for meeting one challenge -- keep all 5 promises for every child (0 -20) in our community. This vision is to get a collaborative strategic plan for youth services in the community and "flywheel momentum" from all segments of the community which will intern increase financial support and volunteer commitments or human resource support. This will facilitate collaboration to eliminate duplication of services, promote more efficient use of limited funds For Official Use Only Page 27 and build a more efficient delivery system. For Official Use Only Narratives Dubuque County Extension will continue to provide the Member training and educational curriculum and resources. Dubuque county Extension staff has a long history of collaboration and administering programs in partnership with other organizations while addressing the issues of children, youth and families at risk. The Dubuque County Extension has a nine - member Council. Since inception, the Partners in Learning AmeriCorps staff has been Beverly Berna, Extension Families Specialist and Penny Ehlinger, Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Director. Both of these positions are focused on making a stronger, more sustainable structure that is tied to Dubuque Promise initiatives in partnership with the City of Dubuque and the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. Ms. Berna has 37 years of experience in a variety of Extension education and administration positions and has managed numerous grants and contracts. Her efforts will be to continue to engage new partners especially in the diversity and underserved or disadvantaged populations. Ms. Ehlinger brings linkages to the colleges, experience working with college students of all ages, experience as a returning adult student and connections in the art and service community. She will continue to conduct recruitment, provide training, support Members and supervisors, oversee Member time and attendance, coordinate service projects and monitor sites. Drawing on the expertise of each of the partners listed above has provided a dynamic leadership team that is future oriented and giving sound AmeriCorps program leadership. In 2007, the America's Promise awarded this partnership with the prestigious title of one of the 10o Best Communities for Youth. Volunteers are sought through various avenues and drawn from a pool of high school and college For Official Use Only Page 28 For Official Use Only Narratives students, retirees, business partners and local convents and church agencies. The Dubuque Mentoring Partnership, a collaborative effort of agencies and organizations, started in April 2005. The Program Director was one of the initial organizers for this initiative. Due to these efforts, mentors /volunteers have increased from 35o to 1,203 in April 2006. The number of youth waiting for mentors has gone down from 1,150 to 524. Bilingual community volunteers are recruited to better serve a more diverse population at the Multicultural Family Center and Presentation Lantern. At the Multicultural Family Center during 2006 -2007 (the second year of operation) 1,795 volunteer hours were logged and reached 7,884 contacts. These volunteers included general volunteers who came for special events such as culture days to other individuals who come weekly to help students with homework. In addition language volunteers assisted others to teach Spanish or Spanish speaking individuals to learn English and technical computer volunteers assistance ranged from teaching computer basics to explaining how to do college computer research. The Multicultural Family Center is a partnership between AmeriCorps and Dubuque County Extension which during the second year of operation secured $83,o38 in funds. During two years of operation the Center has seen 1,257 different individuals (unduplicated count) come through the door of the Multicultural Family Center. AmeriCorps Members are given the responsibility of recruiting, training and orientating community volunteers at their placement sites, community events and service projects. The Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program completes a number of self - evaluations and continuous improvement processes. In addition to regularly scheduled on -site conferences and monitoring activities noted previously, Ms. Ehlinger surveys Members and site supervisors for feedback. Feedback is also received through sites administrating surveys and through interactions with family members, e.g. family nights noted earlier. The program has tracked outcomes and process data since inception per the tools and processes noted earlier. Ms. Ehlinger and Ms. Berna have attended ongoing trainings through the For Official Use Only Page 29 For Official Use Only Narratives Corporation for National and Community Service and the Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service. In collaboration with Project Star, the Program continues to refine and strengthen the program objectives, outcome measures and data collections tools. In developing this proposal, research staff from the Institute for Social and Economic Development was contacted. The academic mentoring component is the best candidate for a scientific study. When the school determines the testing mechanisms they will be using, we can work more closely with ISED to develop an evaluation study. The fact that children receive a number of interventions (some children more than others) and that a control group is difficult to establish are factors that make studies difficult. As an Intermediary Agency, the Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program will draw from its many partners and collaborate for technical and financial assistance through many avenues. A new addition is the Extension CYFAR national evaluator who is assisting with logic model planning and reviews of current outcome methodology. Success in Securing Community Support: The Program has been successful in obtaining a local grant from the Dubuque Racing Association with the average award of $io,000 each year for the last three years. This grant has helped to purchase educational resources, healthy snacks, playground supplies and office equipment such as a copy machine, fax and laser printer. Other grants have been received from the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque and Neighborhood Grants. The Neighborhood grants now total $5,75o in yearly support for transportation and program supplies for the Partners in Learning AmeriCorps initiatives. All Members receive a living allowance which is at the 85/15 cost share with CNCS and partners as recommended by the Corporation. Education award only Members receive these same living allowance dollars from site placements as we strive to be equitable to all Members. The number of education award only positions had increase significantly as partner organizations see the value of collaboration and group synergism. The outcomes of this collaboration are also ensuring program sustainability. For Official Use Only Page 30 For Official Use Only Narratives The Program Director provides yearly orientation training to supervisors and sites at a two hour meeting that includes distribution and discussion of a Site Supervisor Manual. The Director also is available each fall to attend teacher in service days in order to answer any questions and give feedback. Ongoing support is provided throughout the year in areas such as Member scheduling, training, mediation and conflict management. With the new Program design, sites and site supervisors are required to assist in recruitment and increase their contributions to training of Members. Intermediary partners and staff provide initial and ongoing Member training. Staff as well as resources and non- financial support are utilized from the Dubuque County Extension, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque and City of Dubuque. Cost Effectiveness and Budget Adequacy Each partner pays approximately $2 per Member hour as cash match for Member placement. These sources include City of Dubuque, Museum admissions, State of Iowa Allowable Growth Funds, and Dubuque Community Schools. This match is approximately $26,268 for this grant year for grantee living allowance and member support costs. Teachers and other professionals share their expertise through in -kind training for Member development. In addition all administrative costs received from Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) are put back into the personnel and Member support costs. The program partnerships will provide additional in -kind support for the project valued at $50,049 annually. The local sustainability is being increased yearly by the addition of Education Award only Member positions. This grant request is for 14 Education Award positions where partners will commit $28,168 of living allowance benefits to this grant. This brings our total match to $ or grantee share of 34% with total budget of $3o9,863. Partners in Learning Program staff have been successful in receiving local funds. For example, the Dubuque Racing Association grant has purchased program supplies and equipment which amount to For Official Use Only Page 31 For Official Use Only Narratives approximately $6,000 yearly. The City of Dubuque has received a number of federal grant awards, including HUD, and in Fiscal Year 2006 successfully managed 11.5 million dollars of federal funds. The Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program and other community partners continue to collaborate to write supporting grants to further expand and maintain services. Local funding grants that have been explored include Carver, McElroy, Prudential, and Wahlert Foundations. To provide for a community engagement piece for strategic planning, Mississippi Valley Promise received $3o,00o from the Dubuque Racing Association and Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque. These funds are being utilized to do an inclusive visioning process that will result in a strategic youth plan with goals and priorities that to be used as a roadmap for the future. In addition, hundreds of hours of community partners and volunteers will contribute their time to this inclusive, visioning process. The cash match for this youth community -wide strategic planning process from the Community Foundation has been incorporated into the in -kind match. However the hours of community partners, volunteers and business leaders' contributions will serve to engage and increase community visibility but were not included in the grant budget. The City of Dubuque is providing personnel, budget, financial and program administration as in kind services through City of Dubuque Housing and Development Department. Clarke College office space has been secured at to assist the Program Director in recruitment, training, and accessibility to potential Members. The Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program has and will continue to build support as part of its community strengthening efforts. In collaboration with Mississippi Valley Promise and through the program administration with the City of Dubuque and the visioning and community engagement leadership from the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, the program can strategically allow for community engagement as we define and address identified needs of children, youth and families. Program cost per member service year (MSY) is $12,600. The Partners in Learning program currently meets its non - federal support match requirement through funds provided by our partners - schools, For Official Use Only Page 32 For Official Use Only Narratives city, community and will expand the Youth Area Philanthropists (YAPPERS), Multicultural Family Center, Presentation Lantern Center. All the funds noted in the budget as available to this program are secured. Outreach speaking engagements and a successful track record have increased visibility of the program and AmeriCorps is a well- respected entity in the Dubuque community. Evaluation Summary or Plan AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Internal Evaluation Plan: AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Members provide academic tutoring /mentoring and the Program also serves as an Intermediary Agency to address the at -risk population that includes minorities, underserved and disadvantaged children, youth and families. In addition, the AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Member provides safe places of learning through cultural and enrichment opportunities while recruiting and supporting volunteers and volunteer service in the Dubuque community. Purpose of Evaluation: The Dubuque Community -wide strategic planning process will allow the Program the opportunity to engage local leaders, family and youth - serving agencies and organizations, community volunteers, families and youth themselves to determine priorities. This process will provide the prioritization of identifying needs currently being served as well as unmet needs and provide focus and renewed direction to the AmeriCorps Partners in Learning Program. The community has already done a similar community visioning process called Envision 2010 and is working toward the ten goals to make Dubuque a better place to live, work, and play by the year 2010. The youth community -wide strategic planning process will be patterned after the Envision 2010. This youth strategic planning process will increase community buy -in and will be invaluable as we develop the Intermediary Agency component of this grant. Informal groups will meet, brainstorm and submit their ideas for making children and youth a priority in the Dubuque County. In addition to meeting the AmeriCorps funding requirement, this plan will serve to determine if program targets are realistic and it will address program output and program outcomes. The plan will also serve as a management and decision making For Official Use Only Page 33 tool. For Official Use Only Narratives Current Performance Measures: During the year 2006 -2007, for students K -12, 29 Members provided academic tutoring to 2,912 students during school and 312 K -8 students after school, engaging one -on- one or in small groups for 1 -3 hours per week. The goal was that 70% of students, for whom we had data, would improve their academic performance in reading and math. All students exceeded the 70 improvement performance goal except for the students on the high school level. According to Test Scores released by the Dubuque Community School District on 2/27/07, 92% of all elementary schools improved reading scores and 82% improved their math scores over last years performance. Middle Schools and High Schools improved reading and math scores as well. Current Member Evaluations: When Members in the Program reach the halfway mark of service, a mid- term evaluation is conducted with them present along with the site supervisor, teacher(s) or any other interested individual. An evaluation form is used to measure expectations and progress of Members and it also serves as an opportunity for Members to evaluate their supervisors via another evaluation instrument. It is an important part of any program to evaluate the participants and partners; this also helps to reassess the program to anticipate changes or expectations and make needed improvements. Additionally, all Members are required to participate in an exit interview upon completion of their service. At this time, suggestions, criticisms and comments are collected to better improve the Program. Comparisons are made between the mid -term evaluation and the end of service performance to see if there has been improvement and growth. This is also an opportune time to discuss "Life After AmeriCorps," and to discuss future goals and career direction. Evaluation Plan Designers: Penny Ehlinger, AmeriCorps Partners in learning Program Director, Nancy VanMilligen, Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque Executive Director, Beverly Berna, Iowa State For Official Use Only Page 34 For Official Use Only Narratives University Extension Families Specialist & Human Subjects Researcher. Evaluation Timeline. A focus group of community visioning members will be recalled in Year Two and these results will be reviewed in consultation with the Extension Children, Youth & Families at Risk (CYFAR) National Evaluator. These efforts will review outcome tools to determine logic model planning evaluation changes. In Year Three as a competitively - funded program, the Corporation will require us to submit an evaluation report when we re -apply for continued funds in 2010. How Results Will Be Used: The youth community -wide visioning process will determine if our current performance measures are on track and provide valuable information as we make future decisions towards continuous improvement. In addition these findings will be applied to improving promotion and outreach activities for recruiting new AmeriCorps Members, community volunteers, and strategic business partners. In addition, this community prioritization will be critical to our ability to seek partners as we collaborate to determine continued and new placement sites for AmeriCorps Members. We want to show that AmeriCorps Partners in Learning is making a difference in our community as we need the continued support as we reach out to the community for matching funds. All findings and evaluation insights and the release of these results will be used to increase sustainability and community buy -in. 2010 -2011 Update: In addition to the above sited evaluations being conducted on a regular basis, an official Evaluation was conducted January 26 & 27, 2009, by Barbara Woods, Iowa State University Extension, for the Partners in Learning AmeriCorps Program. Several suggestions were made as to areas to consider: Marketing: needs to be ongoing and participants (both Members and families and children served) need to be asked for their ideas on a marketing campaign. Reporting: create and use a consistent short updating tool and consider using participant testimonials as part of this reporting. Advisory teams: look for ways to For Official Use Only Page 35 For Official Use Only Narratives continuously include neighborhood youth and adults on an advisory team. Be sure to get a representative from the new teen group or former program participants. Outcomes /Evaluations: Create logic models for the overall program and its sub areas so that there is a clarification of which outcomes should and can be measured. Consider doing a formal followup evaluation with former AmeriCorps participants (besides just the exit interview feedback). This could include devising an observation tool to be used by Members while they work with participants in different situations (park activities, Multicultural Family Center, schools). Amendment Justification Not Applicable. Clarification Summary The Program did not have full retention (96 %) but plans are to continue to provide specialized training both at the placement sites and through monthly, Member development meetings. Additional training will be provided to site supervisors so that they can better serve as mentors and monitor the activities and needs of their Members. At the initial interview, additional attention will be given to impressing potential applicants regarding the importance of making a firm commitment - both for their obligation to community service and for the benefit of the children and families they will be serving. FYo9 -10 Budget Clarification: Fringe benefits for Program Director are listed as FICA and Retirement in the budget. Workman's Comp is provided by the City of Dubuque as a self- insured clerical category benefit at .0036 %. Medical /health insurance coverage is not provided. The Corporation has suggested a program revision of 16.3 MSYs, down from the original request of 16.71. In revising the budget to reflect this, the slots had to be reduced to 49 (a reduction of one quarter time and one minimal time position). The program now requests 16.23 MSYs as this is as close to the For Official Use Only Page 36 For Official Use Only Narratives 16.3 Corporation recommendation that we could get. This caused the cost per MSY to increase by only $53 but stayed within the recommended funding amount of $198, 909. Budget clarification items requested have been made in the budget. Program clarification items - none identified. Continuation Changes Recruitment: 2008 -2009 enrollment was at 100 %. Enrollment for the 2009 -2010 grant year is on target at 100 %. The Program still-has 14 Ed Award only summer positions and 6 regular summer positions available for the present grant year. However, many applicants have been placed on a waiting list for the start of these positions in May 2010. Past years have proven that summer positions have always been filled. Retention: Retention rate for 2008 -2009 was at 89.6 %. 5 Members were released for cause; two Members found the hours too overwhelming with school and other job commitments (although they continued to do hours during their contract time period); two Members were released as a result of disciplinary action following an inability to fulfill their contract hours during the first few weeks of the program year; and one full time Member decided to resign following dissatisfaction at the site. The Program plans to improve the retention rate by continuing to advocate for Members, to provide more guidance and to provide better initial training and more formal training at the site. Improved training with Site Supervisors has been instituted on how to better mentor Members to enable them to have a better, more fulfilling and successful term of service. Budget: The Program Director position for 2009 -2010 has been changed to reflect two half time positions shared equally by Penny Ehlinger and Beverly Berna. Both have extensive experience with the Program. The retirement of Beverly Berna from her full time position at Iowa State University Dubuque For Official Use Only Page 37 For Official Use Only Narratives County Extension, has made this a possibility and was a creative approach to lightening the responsibilities of running a large Program. The new budget shows a cost per MSY reduction due to continued sustainability efforts. The Program is highly valued even during these tough economic times and is showing a 3% increase of cash match of the total budget cost. For Official Use Only Page 38 SAA Characteristics Rural Encore program x Priority Areas x Education Selected for National Measure Environment/Clean Energy Selected for National Measure Opportunity Selected for National Measure Service Category: Other Education Measure Category: Participant Development Need during their course of service. Results For Official Use Only Performance Measures Grand Total of all MSYs entered for all Priority Areas Service Categories Other Education Urban None of the above Healthy Futures Selected for National Measure Veterans Selected for National Measure Other Selected for National Measure 16.69 ivicEn � a'� emeriti; Briefly describe the need to be addressed (Max. 4,000 characters) A basic purpose of National Service is to renew the ethic of civic responsibility and the spirit of community throughout the United States. AmeriCorps programs are required to provide training and use the service experience to help members acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be active citizens of their communities. Strategy to Achieve Results, Briefly describe how you will achieve this result (Max 4,000 chars.) 53 AmeriCorps Members will participate in 1 training and homework assignment on citizenship Result: Intermediate Outcome AmeriCorps members who participate in the citizenship training and complete their service will report an increase in their knowledge, skills and /or attitude at the end of their service as compared to their knowledge, skills and /or attitude at the eginning of ther term of service using a pre and post -test format. For Official Use Only Page 39 Primary El Secondary ❑ Service Category: Other Education Measure Category: Needs and Service Activities For Official Use Only Result: Intermediate Outcome Indicator: Increase in civic knowledge and skills Target: Members will show an increase in knowledge, skills and /or attitude regarding citizenship by the end of their term determined by a pre -post test. Target Value: 53 Instruments: Iowa Member Citizenship survey Tool PM Statement: Members who complete their service will report increased knowledge, skills and /or attitude in civic engagement at the end of their service as compared with the beginning of their service period. Prev. Yrs. Data: 90% of Members increased their knowledge in content areas on the civic engagement survey. tO Need Briefly describe the need to be addressed (Max. 4,000 characters) In the U.S., more than two thirds of our children and youth are not receiving sufficient developmental resources that put them on a path to successful adulthood and 20% of young people are receiving none or only one of these life - changing, developmental resources. (Source: Every Child Every Promise Report) In Iowa, nearly 3o% of Iowa's nth graders respond negatively to the statement, "Adults in my community care about people my age." Forty- percent of this same group responds negatively to the statement, "Adults in my neighborhood or community help me when I need help." (Source: Iowa Youth Survey) According to "Every Child, Every Promise; A Report from America's Promise Alliance," research demonstrates that chances for success are greatly increased when a child receives a critical mass of developmental resources. And the report further states that, "children who enjoy the sustained and cumulative benefit of having at least four of the Five Promises across various contexts of their lives are much more likely to be academically successful, civically engaged and socially competent." Strategy to Achieve Results Briefly describe how you will achieve this result (Max 4,000 chars.) Through out -of- school and in- school educational, recreational and enrichment activities, Members will provide academic tutoring, mentoring and be positive role models to 2900 students in grades K -12 to fulfill one or more of the Five Promises: Caring Adults, Safe Places, Healthy Start, Marketable Skills and Opportunities to Help Others. For Official Use Only Page 40 Need For Official Use Only Results Result: End Outcome Students mentored by Members, with the goal of fulfilling all Five Promises, will demonstrate higher positive youth development characteristics than their peers. Indicator: student beneficiaries Target: 60% of students who participate and receive services and for whom we have data, will demonstrate higher positive youth development characteristics. Target Value: 60% - Instruments: Iowa Youth Survey PM Statement: 60% of students who participate and receive services, from Members striving to provide them with all Five Promises and for whom we have data, will achieve results by year three of higher positive youth development characteristics than their peers. Prev. Yrs. Data: Future year data will be reported with the achieve result by year three. Result: Intermediate Outcome Students mentored by Members, with the goal of fulfilling all Five Promises will demonstrate higher positive youth development characteristics than their peers. Indicator: student beneficiaries Target: 60% of students who participate and receive services and for whom we have data, will demonstrate higher positive youth development characteristics. Target Value: 60% Instruments: Iowa Youth Survey PM Statement: 60% of students who participate and receive services, from Members striving to provide them with all Five Promises and for whom we have data, will demonstrate higher positive youth development characteristics than their peers. Prev. Yrs. Data: NA Result: Output 50 Members will provide K -12 youth, that will include 2500 elementary, 300 middle school and 100 high school students, with one or more of the Five Promises. Indicator: student beneficiaries Target: K -12 students will receive one or more of the Five Promises. Target Value: 3400 Instruments: Attendance Logs, Registration Sign -in Sheets, and Iowa Youth Survey. PM Statement: 50 Members will provide K -12 youth, that will include 2500 elementary, 300 middle school and 100 high school students, with one or more of the Five Promises as measured by the Iowa Youth Survey results. Prev. Yrs. Data: NA L P C- Service Category: Other Education Measure Category: Strengthening Communities For Official Use Only Page 41 For Official Use Only Briefly describe the need to be addressed (Max. 4,000 characters) An important component of Iowa AmeriCorps programs is to utilize community members to help solve local issues. AmeriCorps is designed to help recruit, train, and support community volunteers to meet the needs of communities. Volunteer recruitment and management play an important role in helping AmeriCorps programs become sustainable over time and provide excellent opportunities for members to develop leadership and management skills. Strategy to Achieve Results Briefly describe how you will achieve this result (Max 4,000 chars.) 4o AmeriCorps Members will recruit, train and /or manage community volunteers to serve in continuouse assignments and /or coordinate with private and /or public service partners to complete special (short term) community service projects. AmeriCorps members will recruit volunteers and provide brief training, including addressing safety issues as part of the service project. Results Result: Output Community volunteers are recruited by AmeriCorps members and serve through on -going volunteer assignments or on short -term projects, such as days of service, increasing the capacity of the program to address community nees and build sustainability for the program activities. Indicator: community volunteers recruited Target: 250 community volunteers will be recruited who will provide 3000 service hours. Target Value: 250 Instruments: Community volunteer logs PM Statement: 40 Members will recruit, train and manage 250 community volunteers for three special community service events. Prev. Yrs. Data: 200 community volunteers were recruited who provided 3,875 volunteer service hours within the community. For Official Use Only Page 42 For Official Use Only Required Documents Document Name Status Evaluation Sent Labor Union Concurrence Not Applicable For Official Use Only Page 43