U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
        Here’s how you know
    Goverment symbol**Official websites use .gov**
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
        Lock symbol**Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            A lock (
              A locked padlock
                 ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive
              information only on official, secure websites.
 Skip to main content JoinDonate
    About
    About
          About
        
About menu block one
  

        
        What We Do
                Our Impact
                Agency FAQs
About menu block two
  

        
        Our Team
                Careers
About menu block three
  

        
        Agency Overview
                            Budget and Performance Plans
                Disability and Accessibility
                Federal Register Notices
                Open Government
                Plain Writing
                Privacy Policy
                Strategic Plan

  

  
Serve
    Serve
          Serve
        
Serve menu block one
  

        
        AmeriCorps
                            AmeriCorps NCCC
                AmeriCorps State and National
                AmeriCorps VISTA
                AmeriCorps Seniors
                            AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent Program
                AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP
                AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion Program
Serve menu block two
  

        
        Volunteer
                            9/11 Day
                MLK Day
Serve menu block three
  

        
        Find Your Fit
                Serve FAQs

  

  
Partner
    Partner
          Partner
        
Partner menu block one
  

        
        How it Works
                            AmeriCorps NCCC
                AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparent
                AmeriCorps Seniors RSVP
                AmeriCorps Seniors Senior Companion
                AmeriCorps State and National
                AmeriCorps VISTA
                Research and Evaluation
                Volunteer Generation Fund
Partner menu block two
  

        
        Partnerships
                Communities and Initiatives
                Funding Opportunities
Partner menu block three
  

        
        Partner FAQs

  

  
Members & Volunteers
    Members & Volunteers
          Members & Volunteers
        
Members & Volunteers menu block one
  

        
        Your Benefits
                Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
                Education Award FAQs
Members & Volunteers menu block two
  

        
        Alumni
                Members in VISTA
Members & Volunteers menu block three
  

        
        Member and Volunteer FAQs
                Safety and Security

  

  
Grantees & Sponsors
    Grantees & Sponsors
          Grantees & Sponsors
        
Grantee & Sponsors menu block one
  

        
        State Service Commissions
                State and National Direct Grantees
                State Subgrantees
                VISTA Sponsors
                Research and Evaluation Grantees
                Volunteer Generation Fund and Days of Service Grantees
Grantee & Sponsors menu block two
  

        
        RSVP Grantees
                Foster Grandparent Program Grantees
                Senior Companion Program Grantees
                Senior Demonstration Program Grantees
                NCCC Project Sponsors
Grantee & Sponsors menu block three
  

        
        Manage Your Grant
                Grantee and Sponsor FAQs

  

  
Newsroom
    Newsroom
          Newsroom
        
Newsroom menu block one
  

        
        News
                Blog
Newsroom menu block two
  

        
        Stories
                Events
Newsroom menu block three
  

        
        In the News
                Communication Resources



  
Contact
    Contact
    JoinDonate
search Breadcrumb
    Newsroom

              National Service Agency Awards Grants to Increase Student Achievement in Underserved Communities
      FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:Sep 22, 2010
  

                    **Washington, DC—** The Corporation for National and Community Service today announced $5.4 million in new Youth Engagement Zone grants to improve academic and civic engagement for students in high poverty communities. In each zone, schools, community organizations, and community colleges will work together to engage youth in service-learning and to help set them on the pathway to college.
"Youth are natural innovators and leaders, and these grants will give them the tools they need to learn inside and outside the classroom," said Patrick A. Corvington, CEO of the Corporation. "We are excited to support partnerships of community institutions that will not only help youth perform well in school, but that will also strengthen connections to higher education."
Working in partnership with a community-based organization, a local education agency, and a community college, these grants take an "all-hands-on-deck approach" to creating meaningful learning opportunities for youth in middle and high school, with additional support and preparation for higher education. Students will lead service-learning projects that solve challenges affecting their communities. Among other projects, youth in New York’s South Bronx community will lead river restoration and energy conservation projects connected to science curriculum, while in Covington, Kentucky, youth will play a leadership role in helping young children reach kindergarten ready to learn.
The Youth Engagement Zone program is a new initiative administered by the Corporation’s Learn and Serve America programand authorized under the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The six inaugural grantees were selected from a pool of 99 applicants, representing the high demand for the program. Learn and Serve America engages more than 1.5 million young people in service-learning programs to connect in-class course work to important community needs, and encourage students' commitment to service.
The six inaugural Youth Engagement Zone grants are:
**buildOn** ($850,000; 3 year grant) – Youth in the South Bronx, New York, a community that struggles with low graduation and high poverty rates, will lead river restoration, water and energy conservation, recycling, and green space projects connected to high school science curriculum. Zone partners include the Bronx Community College Office of Collaborative Education Programs, Bronx Community College Center for Sustainable Energy, and Banana Kelly High School. **Focus Zone:**Bronx, NY**Children, Inc.**($757,351; 3 year grant) – Children Inc. will implement an Early Learning Success Initiative in partnership with Covington Independent Public Schools in Kentucky. High school students will tutor young children in reading, dance, music, and art, as well as create learning games that decrease obesity and promote oral health. Zone partners include Covington Independent Public Schools, Gateway Community & Technical College, and UGIVE. **Focus Zone:**Covington, KY**Earth Force, Inc.** ($1,179,040; 3 year grant) - Middle and high school students in Northeast Denver will build their math and science skills by addressing their community's environmental challenges. With the help of community partners Youth Biz and Redline, the students will help build green learning labs at three local schools, teaching math and science curricula through the creation of urban gardens. Zone partners include the Colorado Academy of Science & the Arts, Whittier K-8 School, Manual High School, and the Community College of Denver. **Focus Zone:** Denver, CO**Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa**($700,000; 3 year grant) – Fond du Lac’s local high school, the Fond du Lac Ojibwe School, will launch a "Connecting Through Service" project to engage high school students at risk of dropping out. The program will embed service-learning into core academic curricula, integrate entrepreneurial skills and tribal culture with service-learning projects, and establish a youth leadership group. Zone partners include University of Minnesota-Institute of Community Integration, Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, and the National Youth Leadership Council. **Focus Zone:** Cloquet, MN**Kent Intermediate School District**($880,905; 3 year grant) - Located in southwest Michigan, the Kent Intermediate School District Youth Engagement Zone will engage three high-need schools in service-learning activities to stop urban decay and expand the support of green infrastructure. Zone partnership with the Wittenbach Wege Agriscience and Environmental Education Center, Grand Rapids Community College, and Kent ISD will focus on community and environmental revitalization through youth-led service-learning projects. **Focus Zone:**Grand Rapids, MI**Seattle Public Schools**($1,050,000; 3 year grant) – The Zone partnership with the Nature Consortium, Seattle Parks and Recreation, South Seattle Community College, and Seattle Public Schools will improve student engagement, academic achievement, graduation rates and college attendance in the Seattle Youth Engagement Zone. Students from Cleveland High School and Aki Kurose and Mercer Middle Schools will connect learning from science, technology, engineering, and math classes to address local environmental challenges such as water pollution and invasive species around the Lower Duwamish River. The program will improve community conditions as well as student attendance, behavior, and motivation to learn. **Focus Zone:**Seattle, WA
The Corporation for National and Community Service is a federal agency that engages more than five million Americans in service through Senior Corps, AmeriCorps, Learn and Serve America and the Social Innovation Fund, and leads President Obama’s national call to service initiative, United We Serve. For more information, visit NationalService.gov.
              AmeriCorps, a federal agency, brings people together to tackle the country's most pressing challenges through national service and volunteering. AmeriCorps members and AmeriCorps Seniors volunteers serve with organizations dedicated to the improvement of communities. AmeriCorps helps make service to others a cornerstone of our national culture. Learn more at AmeriCorps.gov. Back to main content Sign up to hear about our latest news, events, and opportunities.
  Sign up for our newsletter
    Footer about
  

        
        About
                            What We Do
                Our Impact
                Our Team
                Careers
                Agency OverviewFooter serve
  

        
        Serve
                            AmeriCorps
                AmeriCorps Seniors
                Volunteer
                Find Your FitFooter partner
  

        
        Partner
                            How it Works
                Funding OpportunitiesFooter Members & Volunteers
  

        
        Members & Volunteers
                            Your Benefits
                Segal AmeriCorps Education Award
                Alumni
                Safety and SecurityFooter grantees & sponsors
  

        
        Grantees & Sponsors
                            eGrants
                History Checks
                LitmosFooter newsroom
  

        
        Newsroom
                            News
                Blog
                Stories
                Events
                In the News
                Communication Resources
      Bringing Americans together to serve communities

Follow us
  
  1-800-942-2677
            
    help@americorps.gov
    USA.gov / Office of Inspector General / FOIA and Privacy Act / Federal Register notices / No FEAR Act/ Employee Whistleblower Rights / Contractor and Grantee Whistleblower Rights / Office of Special Counsel / STOCK Act / Fraud Alert

Accessibility / Privacy policy / Site map / Donate / Join

**AmeriCorps.gov**
An official website of AmeriCorps. Produced and published at taxpayer expense. 
 You are leaving AmeriCorps.gov
 The website you’re going to is not part of the AmeriCorps domain and may not be under AmeriCorps’ control. Its privacy and security practices and policies may differ from AmeriCorps’. AmeriCorps is not responsible for the link, nor does it endorse the content of the third-party website. Click on the continue button to proceed to the external website; otherwise click cancel to stay on AmeriCorps.gov.
 Cancel Continue