News Releases for August 2006
August 16, 2006
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Hoeven Announces 2006-07 Americorps Projects
BISMARCK, N.D. - Gov. John Hoeven announced today six new AmeriCorps Projects for the 2006-07 grant year. The projects were selected by the North Dakota Workforce Development Council - State Commission on National and Community Service. Projects awarded include AmeriCorps-appointed positions or member slots at the following locations:
- Cooperstown Community Activities: 35 member slots will provide after-school programs for the youth of 11 rural school districts.
- Fargo-Moorhead Family YMCA: 29 member slots will provide homework programming and mentoring to youth in their school age programs.
- Grand Forks Public School District #1: 16 member slots will provide academic tutoring to local youth and recruit volunteers for their after-school programs.
- Jamestown Public School District #1: 20 member slots will provide tutoring and homework assistance to the local youth and help provide exercise and fitness opportunities to the community.
- North Dakota Council on Abused Women's Service, Bismarck: 8 member slots will provide domestic violence awareness on various college campuses in North Dakota.
- YouthWorks of Bismarck and Fargo: 14 member slots will provide mentoring and peer counseling to troubled youth.
Hoeven created the State Commission under Executive Order 2002-02. Each year, the Corporation for National and Community Service allocates "formula funding" to governor-appointed state service commissions based on population. These commissions in turn conduct state-wide competitions and select non-profits, faith-based and community-based organizations to receive AmeriCorps grants.
AmeriCorps is often referred to as the Domestic Peace Corps. AmeriCorps members serve in hundreds of nonprofit organizations, public agencies, and faith-based organizations in rural and urban communities throughout the nation. Among other activities, the program leverages community volunteers, tutors and mentors youth, restores/cleans parks and streams, helps communities respond to disasters, builds affordable housing, operates after-school programs, and builds the capacity of non-profit groups to extend and improve their impact.
In exchange for their services, AmeriCorps members are paid a living allowance to assist them with their monthly living expenses, and after successfully completing their term of service, they receive an Education Award ($4,727 for full-time service of 1,700 hours) they can use to pay for qualified college expenses.
The State Commission serves as a resource for selecting the most appropriate and relevant community projects to receive federal funding for AmeriCorps national service projects. Contact Jim Hirsch at 701-328-5345 for more information on AmeriCorps State Formula programs or on the State Commission.
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