The Shriver Center at University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Description

The MDCCC AmeriCorps VISTA project will meet the needs of a local middle school partner through innovative support for a after-school club and implementation of Information Workshops for school parents and guardians. The after school program, is working to engage students - specifically those who have higher needs and who are enrolled in FARMS - in regular, sustained tutoring and service projects. By engaging an MDCCC AmeriCorps VISTA to support this program, UMBC students will be recruited to participate in sustained after-school tutoring and service activities with the students. Additionally, the Information Workshops for school parents will address the school’s commitment to provide wrap-around support for all students. Because of the economic needs faced by many families, the MDCCC AmeriCorps VISTA’s coordination of workshops that address student-family concerns will provide support to families and students of the school. At the end of this project, the MDCCC AmeriCorps VISTA will create sustainable resources to support the school’s Arbutus Achievers program and will establish partnerships with local businesses and programs to ensure the continuation of Information Workshops for parents. In addition to work with this community partner, the MDCCC AmeriCorps VISTA will recruit UMBC students to participate in sustained service-learning activities that leverage the resources of the campus to meet the volunteer needs of local schools and community-based programs.