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Springfield Promise Neighborhood, in its seventh year, is a nonprofit focused on reducing poverty and creating more opportunities for residents of the city’s south side, including improving students’ academic success. The U.S. has 16 Promise Zones nationwide.
“It’s time to celebrate what we were able to accomplish and some things we’re in line to change in how we operate in the south end of Springfield,” said Bob Welker, executive director of Springfield Promise Neighborhood. “We’ve already begun changing children’s lives but the zone wouldn’t work without so many partners.”
The zone is built around four Springfield City elementary schools — Lincoln, Kenwood, Perrin Woods and Fulton.
Springfield Promise has an annual operating budget of more than $400,000. The more than $137,000 grant is matched with nearly $43,000 in state and local funding.
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The new AmeriCorps grant will potentially double the number of people served, Welker said. The nonprofit currently serves 88 kindergarten through third grade students as well as 70 unique parents.
The additional money is going toward hiring several PromiseCorps members and professional development services to the community, centered around early childhood education.
There will be 20 total PromiseCorps members, including 16 at the four elementary schools, to help students in reading at their grade level, and four at Rocking Horse Parent Infant Center to prepare preschoolers for kindergarten.
The success will be measurable in having all the students make more than a one-year gain in their literacy assessments, Welker said.
Ideal recruits for the PromiseCorps positions are college students studying education, retired teachers or anybody passionate about serving in the community. The openings are for the 20 to 25 hours a week.
Promise Zone has partnered with Clark State Community College, Springfield City School District and the Rocking Horse Health Center, along with a core group of several others.
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In August 2017, Springfield was invited to apply for a Choice Neighborhood Planning Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
If awarded, it would be worth $1.3 million. The announcement will be made in February, according to Shannon Meadows, city of Springfield community development director.
“This is something we haven’t been able to do on a government level in Springfield in decades,” she said.
The grant would help several projects in the Genesis Transformation Area, consisting of a 1.6-mile-long by 1.2-mile-wide area of the city, ranging from Montgomery Avenue to South Limestone Street and from Columbia Street to State State.
It has four subsections. One of the prime locations being looked at is the former Myers Market building, most recently used for United Senior Services, located at 101 S. Fountain Ave.
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With its large kitchen and space it could help several people living in the zone areas.
Keys to helping such projects are residents interested in investing in neighborhoods and faith-based organizations such as churches getting involved. Clifton Avenue Church of God was a strong ally during the implementation of Promise Neighborhood in 2010.
There’s a chance the award could be less than the maximum $1.3 million, Meadows said. But even if a grant isn’t awarded, having been through the experience will mean the group is ready for the next time.
“If we fall five points short, we’ll know what to do and then in August we’ll try again,” she said. “You don’t always get it the first time but you stay stubborn.”
If it does come through, it could lead to even larger grants in the future, if initial planning is met in three years.
Welker was pleased with the attendance at last week’s meeting, which included multiple Clark State employees, representatives of other partners and several community leaders.
“So many people came here, it’s remarkable,” he said. “They see the benefit of coming together and can get things done. Children are growing because of them.”
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