Congressman Cleaver Announces $1,677,000 in AmeriCorps Funding for Organizations in MO-05

(Kansas City, MO) – Today, U.S. Representative Emanuel Cleaver, II (D-MO) announced that three organizations in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District will receive more than $1,677,000 in AmeriCorps funding, including federal grants and education awards, to support AmeriCorps members who will boost digital inclusion efforts, improve child literacy, and strengthen public education services. AmeriCorps is the federal agency responsible for national service and volunteerism.

“As a longtime supporter of AmeriCorps, I’m thrilled to announce that three truly exceptional, community-oriented organizations in our congressional district will receive more than $1.6 million to help close the digital divide and support our students in and out of the classroom,” said Congressman Cleaver. “From improving child literacy to boosting digital inclusion for adults in Jackson County, AmeriCorps members play a pivotal role in providing support to our communities, and I want to thank all of our AmeriCorps volunteers for their service to our congressional district and the entire nation.”

Three grants totaling more than $1,677,720 will support organizations operating in Missouri’s Fifth Congressional District, including:

• $1,125,000 for City Year Kansas City, which will have 45 AmeriCorps members who will provide full-day education services to students in eight public schools in Kansas City. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for mentoring an estimated 440 students, of which 92 will improve literacy skills, 68 will improve math skills, and 220 will develop social-emotional skills.
• $426,177 for The Literacy Lab’s Missouri Reading Corps, which will have 28 AmeriCorps members who will provide children from pre-K to grade 3 with daily, targeted early literacy intervention in pre-K classrooms and elementary schools in the greater Kansas City area. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for increasing the school readiness of an estimated 20 pre-kindergarten students and the literacy skills of approximately 87 elementary students in kindergarten through third grade.
• $126,593 for the Kansas City Public Library’s DigitalCorps, which will have 13 AmeriCorps members who will serve as DigitalCorps members, providing direct service for adult digital inclusion learners in Jackson County. At the end of the first program year, the AmeriCorps members will be responsible for the ensuring 60% of beneficiaries self-report that they feel more knowledgeable and/or confident about digital resources measured using the Public Library Association’s Project Outcomes Survey.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, provides opportunities for Americans to serve their country domestically, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, improve lives and communities, and strengthen civic engagement. Each year, the agency places more than 200,000 AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers in intensive service roles; and empowers millions more to serve as long-term, short-term, or one-time volunteers.

Find more information on AmeriCorps grant funding for Missouri here.

Emanuel Cleaver, II is the U.S. Representative for Missouri's Fifth Congressional District, which includes Kansas City, Independence, Lee's Summit, Raytown, Grandview, Sugar Creek, Greenwood, Blue Springs, North Kansas City, Gladstone, and Claycomo. He is a member of the exclusive House Financial Services Committee and Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance.