The ESC of Central Ohio is one of several organizations selected to receive AmeriCorps program funding through ServeOhio. Both ESC of Central Ohio AmeriCorps programs received funding for the 2020-2021 school year. Ohio Reading and Math Corps was awarded $900,000, and the new AmeriCorps Mentors for Success received $180,000.

More than $8.8 million in grants from ServeOhio will be used to support 900 Ohio AmeriCorps members throughout the 2020-2021 program year. AmeriCorps members who provide intensive service to their community will be eligible for a portion of the nearly $4.2 million in education awards that are awarded upon completion of their respective program. Education awards can be used to help pay for future higher education or to pay back student loans.

“By partnering with local nonprofits, public agencies and community organizations, Ohio’s high-impact AmeriCorps programs address local communities’ most critical needs,” ServeOhio Executive Director William Hall said in an article on the Highland County Press website. “AmeriCorps members will grow as individuals and leaders while providing valuable service to Ohio’s struggling neighborhoods.”

About Ohio Reading and Math Corps
Members who serve in our Ohio Reading and Math Corps program are trained to provide tutoring in literacy and math to more than 3,200 elementary students in the Columbus, Dayton, Cleveland, and Youngstown regions. Members work with students 30 hours per week to help:
• Improve reading and math outcomes for all students enrolled
• Build confidence in students to perform and excel in a variety of settings
• Reach grade-level proficiency and/or make significant progress during the course of the year

With 120 members statewide, the Ohio Reading and Math Corps is the largest AmeriCorps project in Ohio.

 

About AmeriCorps Mentors for Success
In its second year, our AmeriCorps Mentors for Success program provides school-based mentoring for middle and high school students that struggle with attendance and social-emotional skills.

Mentors are paired with a partner school and work with a caseload of about 15 students, to help:
• Improve attendance outcomes for all students enrolled
• Improve social emotional skills and decrease disciplinary incidents
• Further develop the leadership skills and capacity of all program participants, including those that serve as mentors as well as the students who participate in the program
• Combat the systemic barriers that limit students’ ability to be successful in school and in life

 

“It’s inspiring to see the impact our programs have on our members, students and schools,” said Sean Noe, Program Administrator. “Seeing the students’ academic and attendance performances improve throughout the school year really speaks to our AmeriCorps Members’ dedication to service and the positive impact these programs can have on our communities.”

For more information about our AmeriCorps programs, read about Ohio Reading and Math Corps and Mentors for Success. Or, check out one member’s inspirational experience as a mentor to get a personal account of our programs.