Thank You, AmeriCorps!

Whenever I’m invited to speak to groups of school administrators about Grenada’s success, I offer a list of key factors that have contributed to our district’s success. One contributing factor that people are always surprised to learn about is our AmeriCorps program. 

AmeriCorps is a federally funded initiative that provides tutoring and classroom services in 9,500 schools across the nation. The program at Grenada, implemented through Volunteer Mississippi, is a flagstone for the organization’s presence in our state, and it has impacted the lives of thousands of children right here in our community. 

As the nation was enduring a financial crisis in 2007, dramatic budget cuts to public education in Mississippi forced us to take drastic measures by eliminating much of our assistant teaching staff. To continue helping teachers and students in the classroom, we applied for — and won — the grant that would lead to a long, fruitful partnership with AmeriCorps in 2008. 

Judy Stein, the late State AmeriCorps Director of the Mississippi Commission for Volunteer Service, which is now known as Volunteer Mississippi, was an invaluable ally who showed us how to marshall an army of volunteer reading and math tutors. A group of 15 came into the schools, grades K-8, with a mandate to improve student academic performance 15% or higher. 

Since then the membership has doubled. The one-on-one and small group tutoring continues to help at-risk students stay on course with their grade level and inspires them to want to learn. A testament to their success is that we’re tutoring fewer students at the middle-school level because the need has dwindled from our effective measures in the elementary grades.

Currently, our grant requires us to tutor 815 students, and 80% (652) of those students must show a 15% growth or higher.  We have exceeded that goal this year with 83% of our 833 tutored students showing 15% growth or higher.

Not only have the members kept these students on pace to succeed, they have served dutifully as mentors, building positive relationships and self-esteem. Their work reinforces our notion that extra attention and positivity is critical to early learning.

Over the 16 years at Grenada, AmeriCorps members have successfully recruited over 200 volunteers. They’ve also worked in the community, advancing literacy and volunteering in the local soup kitchen, among other projects. 

The lasting impact of our AmeriCorps program is evident in the fact that 35 former members have been hired within our school district, with 10 becoming teachers and 12 alumni securing positions in local businesses, furthering their contribution to our school and community.

Members become more engaged citizens through their volunteer efforts, and many attest that it has helped them develop as people. Through the Segal AmeriCorps Education Award, members are eligible to earn thousands of dollars toward going back to school and earning their teacher certification. Members over 55 with past education experience may transfer their education award to a child or grandchild. 

No other school district in the state maintains such a strong AmeriCorps presence as Grenada, which is a major reason I was recently presented the National Service “Make-a-Difference” Award from Volunteer Mississippi at the organization’s Governor’s Initiative for Volunteer Excellence (GIVE) Awards last month in Jackson. It was a great honor to receive this award on behalf of my own efforts, as well as the many others who have made this program a success.

Our program’s first director, Pam Hubbard, still serves in an advisory capacity. Another long-running director, Gwen Woodson, recently moved on to coordinate community development with the Lake District Partnership. 

Phyllis Chism was promoted to Program Director last year and holds a unique vantage. She taught first grade for many years and worked with AmeriCorps tutors in the classroom. She was the very first AmeriCorps member in the Grenada School District before the program was even established here. The education award she received from the AmeriCorps Future Teacher Literacy Program allowed her to go back to school and become a certified teacher. She's a great believer in the program and has first-hand insight into the importance of one-on-one tutoring. She knows the program's benefits for both the students and the community. She has motivated several volunteers to enter the program and return to school. Several have returned to teach in the Grenada School District.  

As I remarked in acceptance of the “Make-A-Difference” award, it has been the collective efforts of all the AmeriCorps members who served in Grenada and the administrators who helped keep the program funded and running smoothly that has not only elevated educational standards here but also fostered unity and progress within our community, setting the stage for a brighter future.

Thank you, AmeriCorps!

— May 2024