Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center has been awarded a 21st Century Community Learning Center grant from the Maryland State Department of Education. The 5-year grant is for $223,116 in Years 1 and 2, and 85%, 75% and 50% of that amount in Years 3 thru 5. The awards are made based on a highly competitive process, and the organization still must raise $70,000 to fund its own operations in order to implement the grant.
The 21st Century Community Learning Center initiative is a key component of the “No Child Left Behind” Act. It is an opportunity for students to reinforce academic lessons of the regular school day, while also allowing them to learn new skills and discover their interests and potentials.
This funding will provide a formal academic afterschool program for up to 135 students attending Easton Elementary who are challenged academically as a result of language, culture, race and income disparities. The curriculum offers hands-on learning activities which focus on science, technology, engineering and math skills. Students will investigate a series of themes ranging from volcanoes to conservation to robotics as they are enriching their reading, writing, and math skills.
The program is a partnership between the Multicultural Resource Center, Talbot County Public Schools, Chesapeake College’s Continuing Education and Workforce Training Division’s Adult Education Program and Salisbury University’s AmeriCorps program. Other partners are providing enrichment content for afterschool students, including Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, 4H, Junior Achievement and Character Counts.
Parents of children in the program are encouraged to advance their own education by attending ESL and GED classes which are provided by Chesapeake College. As part of the College’s evening ESL program at Easton Middle School, Chesapeake Multicultural Resource Center will provide 30 sessions of parenting and life skills programming. Through a grant provided by the Women’s and Girl’s Fund, a 12-part course entitled “Parenting for Academic Success” will be incorporated within ESL classes. Talbot Partnership will present a 4-part program, “Families That Care – Guiding Good Choices” which helps parents recognize and learn strategies for dealing with adolescent substance abuse.
According to Matthew Peters the Multicultural Resource Center Director, “The 21st Century grant will allow us to greatly expand our afterschool program and engage parents to commit to both their children’s and their own advancement. The children we serve represent a significant component of the county’s population and our future workforce. Helping them do their best benefits all of us.”
ChesMRC was established in 2012 by a group of local citizens who are committed to engaging and empowering immigrant families to become successful and involved community members, and to build strong bonds between all racial and ethnic groups. Together with its partners and 20+ community volunteers, last year the Multicultural Resource Center provided a homework help program for 80 children at Oasis Covenant Fellowship church hall.
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