AG 2004 03 15 - Laserfiche WebLink

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TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING, THESE QUESTIONS MUST BE ANSWERED. I.DESCRIPTION OF REQUEST FOR FUNDS a) Describe the overall project for which you are requesting funds from PMECF and the needs it addresses. b) Indicate how your organization will use PMECF funds to support the described project. (Please be specific.) c) Outline your organization's specific plans to implement this project. d) Very briefly, describe how the proposed activity will be staffed. e) Please list the communities/counties served by the project. Please answer section I, questions a-e in the space provided on this page. The focus of the 4-H SOS Goldminers in 2003-04 will be to continue and expand the afterschool care for students attending Concord Middle School and Mt. Pleasant Middle School. The youth served will be sixth, seventh and eighth graders who would be "latchkey" youth during the critical after school hours and for those who need assistance in academic and social skills. Ninety-four percent (94%) of our current members would have been alone after school. When children are alone, they have a tendency to make uninformed or poor decisions. Recent studies show that children in after school programs are two times less likely to use drugs and one third less likely to become teen parents. In 2001, 82 juveniles were held for 24 hours or longer in juvenile detention at a tax cost of $160/day. Supervised afterschool care is much cheaper. As reported in the Executive Summary of the 2001-2002 Support Our Students Evaluation, teachers and parents report that children who attend after school programs also develop better social skills & handle conflicts in more acceptable ways. In a Louis Harris poll, half of the teachers questioned said that "children left on their own after school" is the primary cause of school failure. Young children need adult supervision and guidance as they push bohndaries. In selectingour staff, we strive to hire individuals who not only have education about middle school child development and acadmic skills required but also those who possess a sincere enjoyment and respect for our students. Our staff serve as positive role models by demonstrating daily to our youth the importance of initiative, responsibility, empathy, diligence and good decision making. Funds requested will be applied to this vital component of having a trained staff who serve the needs of our students and their families. PMECF funds will also supply consultants who provide enrichment activities in computer skill development, career awareness, cultural and artistic areas. They are a key component in providing a rich diversity of activities. To implement this project, we will conf'mn the school administration's continued full cooperation to allow virtually unlimited access to all facilities and equipment of the schools. Recruitment of students for the program will be through registration information distributed at PTSO meetings, during spring and fall orientation, in report cards and newspaper notices. Staff and students will plan together to set goals for the year with guidance from the SOS state department The program is designed to serve an enrollment of 20-30 students at each school with a daily staff to student ratio of 1:12. The staff at each school will consist of a Site Director, one counselor and two enrichment leaders. The program will be supplemented by teachers at the school who tutor and by volunteers and community agencies to provide additional enrichment activities. Supervision and assistance will be provided by the 4-H SOS Director and Office Assistant. Cabarms County Government supervises finances and personnel with the approval of the Cabarms County Commissioners. The local SOS program is supervised by the Cabarrus County Cooperative Extension. The NC Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention supervises the Support Our Students grant as provided in the 1994 Crime Control Act. J.N. Fries Middle School was the initial school to have the 4-H SOS Goldminers program. Funds from this grant will help continue to provide program services for Concord and Mt. Pleasant Middle Schools. These two schools presently end their school days at 2:00 p.m. The hours of operation of these programs will be from school dismissal until 6:00 p.m. which takes into consideration commuting parents. The 2000 Census reports that children ages 6-12 who are living with working parents is 62%. Cabarms County has 69.7% of the population in the labor force with the high rate of those working outside the county at 46.9% with a mean travel time of 27 minutes. Mt. Pleasant Middle is also located in a more rural area where driving time for commuting parents is longer. At Mt. Pleasant Middle School, only 2% of the children have a parent who does not work away from home. Forty-two percent (42%) of Concord Middle students and 23% of Mt. Pleasant Middle students receive free and reduced lunch. This indicates a great need of our families to have a safe, affordable place for their children to learn and grow.