Eight Local Agencies Awarded $35,000 in Mini-Grants for AVID Programming

The Investing In Girl Alliance Education Task Force is pleased to announce it has awarded a total of $35,000 in mini-grants to help youth-serving organizations provide formal academic support in after school settings.  The eight agencies who were the recipients of the grant money were Assumption Center-Girls with DREAMS, an afterschool program supporting middle school girls ages 10-14 ($5,000), Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Mass/Metrowest-a mentoring program ($1,500), Boys and Girls Club of Worcester-Power Hour a homework help and tutoring program ($5,000), Latino Education Institute of Worcester State College-Latinos Involved in Discovering Educational Opportunities (LIDER) an educational afterschool program for Latino youth($5,000), Oak Hill CDC-Teen Inspirators an educational, leadership development and community service program for 11-17 years olds ($3,500), YMCA of Central Mass-Y-Succeed an afterschool program exposing middle school girls ages 10-14 to college and careers ($5,000)-, You Inc.-Youth Making A Difference (YMD) a therapeutic afterschool program ($5,000) and the YWCA of Central Massachusetts-Girls CHOICE-a mentoring program for middle school girls who are at-risk ($5,000). The recipients of the mini-grant awards will have an opportunity to participate in a Fall 2009 Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) training.  Through the AVID training youth workers, tutors and organizational staff will learn how to reinforce the students' academic success through encouraging effective note-taking, having an organized binder, facilitating homework help by helping students direct their own learning, and other AVID training techniques. Investing In Girls has also partnered with the Worcester Public Schools to launch a pilot program at Burncoat Middle School using AVID in an after school program.  The Investing In Girls Alliance is financially supported by the Women's Initiative, United Way of Central Mass and The Fred Harris Daniels Foundation.