Ozarks Literacy Council gets grant for at-risk youth

by Jeremy Elwood

SBJ Reporter

jelwood@sbj.net

The Missouri Community Service Commission, a division of the Department of Economic Development, Oct. 30 announced approval of more than $40,000 in grants through its mini-grant program. Springeld-based Ozarks Literacy Council was one of the groups selected, and will receive a $2,322 grant for a program intended to improve literacy for at-risk youth.

Ozarks Literacy Council Executive Director Paula Shumaker said the grant will be used to continue a pilot program started last year called Two Way Street.

"We used at-risk teens from the Boys and Girls Club and the Prime Time program at the Springeld YMCA to help, and they tutored rst and second graders that were having a little bit of trouble with their reading," Shumaker said. "We knew the little kids would like it because they look up to the older kids. But the older kids loved it too they bonded and learned leadership roles."

Shumaker said the new grant allows the program to continue for the current school year.

"It wasn't totally funded this year, but we wanted the program to continue because the results were so fantastic," she said. "We weren't able to with the funding that we had in place, so this grant is the missing puzzle piece for us to continue the program."

Branson's The Hiding Place Ministry Inc. also was among the 23 statewide programs to receive funding. It was awarded $1,200.

The Missouri Community Service Commission uses mini-grants to provide federal resources from the Corporation for National and Community Service. These grants fund service or learning projects or community service projects that either provide youth with opportunities to serve within their communities or lead a service project that addresses a particular community need. Elementary, secondary or higher education institutions, government entities or not-for-prot organizations are eligible for the grants, according to Missouri Community Service Commission news release.