WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Thad Cochran, R-Miss., today announced $5.0 million in AmeriCorps grants to support tutorial and mentor programs in Mississippi.

The Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) is awarding $5.0 million between five programs in Mississippi, including $2.26 million in state competitive funding and $1.19 million in Segal AmeriCorps Education Award funding.  Another $1.5 million was approved for Volunteer Mississippi, the state’s service commission, to support AmeriCorps education programs.

“Mississippi’s strong support for volunteerism and service is one part of what makes the state a great place to live and work,” Wicker said.  “AmeriCorps volunteers have a proven record of improving the lives of citizens and creating lasting change in their communities.  I am excited for the educational opportunities these grants will provide for Mississippi’s students.”

“These AmeriCorps grants will be used to improve academic achievement among disadvantaged students.  These programs involve universities and service organizations working to improve literacy and other skills,” Cochran said.  “I’m pleased that this funding will help energize volunteers to provide aid to our youth.”

Launched in 1994, AmeriCorps is administered by CNCS and has a National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) campus in Vicksburg.  The Vicksburg campus is one of five NCCC centers that in 2016 trained AmeriCorps members to recruit and supervise more than four million volunteers at more than 21,000 locations nationwide, including nonprofit organizations, schools, faith-based and community organizations, and emergency and disaster sites.

The grant award includes:

• $1.67 million for the America Reads–Mississippi program administered by the Mississippi Institutes of Higher Learning to support kindergarten to third grade reading tutorials statewide
• $568,406 for the COOL Education Project sponsored by Scientific Research (SR1) to support K-12 one-on-one tutoring in Hinds, Madison and Scott counties
• $540,142 for the Campus Link AmeriCorps program sponsored by the University of Southern Mississippi Center for Community and Civil Engagement to support in-school and after school tutoring to students in South Mississippi
• $512,840 for the Grenada School District AmeriCorps Program sponsored by the Grenada School District to support a K-8 tutor program
• $168,003 for the UM College Corps sponsored by the University of Mississippi to support academic assistance for disadvantaged preschool to fourth grade students in Oxford, Columbus, Okolona, Water Valley, Hattiesburg, Indianola and other neighboring communities

 This federal funding is being matched by $1.8 million in various local and private-sector resources.

Cochran and Wicker were the lead Republican sponsors of a Senate resolution commending AmeriCorps and designating March 4 – 11, 2017, as “AmeriCorps Week.”  The resolution was passed by unanimous consent.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017, which was enacted May 5, includes $386 million for AmeriCorps State and National Grants in 2017, the same as FY2016 funding.