March 29, 2024
Annapolis, US 43 F

Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County makes grants for 2014

left to right; Becki Kurdle, Vice-Chair, CFAAC Board of Trustees; Loise Novochadlo, Executive Director, Center of Help; John Palinski, Executive Director, Seeds 4 Success; Leslie Overholser, Executive Director, Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center; Linda Barbour, Executive Director, STAIR (Courtesy photo)
left to right; Becki Kurdle, Vice-Chair, CFAAC Board of Trustees; Loise Novochadlo, Executive Director, Center of Help; John Palinski, Executive Director, Seeds 4 Success; Leslie Overholser, Executive Director, Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center; Linda Barbour, Executive Director, STAIR (Courtesy photo)

The Community Foundation of Anne Arundel County is proud to announce the 2014 Ladders to Success Education and Youth Development Grants. The awards totaling 55,875 aim to improve educational outcomes for at-risk youth in Anne Arundel County.

Over the past five years, CFAAC has granted more than $525,000 through Ladders to local nonprofit organizations that provide opportunities for low wealth or vulnerable Anne Arundel County residents to live healthy, vibrant and successful lives. The Ladders program currently supports to Impact Areas – Education & Youth and Economic Opportunity.

“One of the Community Foundation’s greatest strengths is our ability to pull together local donors and our Fund Holders to co-invest with us in our communities’ greatest needs and opportunities.  Ladders is the embodiment of that critical and unique role we play in the community,” says Bess Langbein, executive director.  “The generosity of our local donors and Fund Holders coupled with the vital, effective services provided to low income individuals and families by our nonprofits, has made Ladders our most robust grant program.”

Now the largest institutional grantmaker in the county, CFAAC programs recently funded the following programs through Ladders:

The Anne Arundel Conflict Resolution Center’s Attendance Mediation Project which helps families find solutions to the problems leading to student lateness or absences. Children succeed in school when they go to school every day on time. This Program brings families and teachers together to talk about a student’s attendance problems in mediations that are free-of-charge, voluntary and private. The project’s goal is to support 100% of the referrals from partner organization, Anne Arundel County Public Schools with a 50% improvement rate in attendance for all students participating in mediation.

The Center of Help’s Homework Help and Leadership program to help Hispanic/Latino students from Bates Middle School, Annapolis High School and Germantown Elementary School with homework, one-on-one tutoring in English, Math, Science, History and other subjects. The program also develops leadership skills with activities to stimulate cooperation, creativity, and exposure to American culture to encourage active participation in U.S. society.

First Presbyterian Church for their Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR) reading program designed to provide intervention for at-risk, low-income second and third grade students living in Annapolis. The program is delivered in six locations to approximately 40 students. Volunteer tutors meet students twice a week after school for one hour focusing on basic reading skills using a STAIR curriculum.  Grant funding will allow the program to double the number of students served to 80.

Seeds 4 Success to support three programs that serve students in Annapolis’ public housing communities: Eastport Girls Club (after-school and mentoring program for 20 girls ages 9-15); I Am a Reader (reading tutoring for 10 first grade boys) and Parent Challenge (educational, incentive-based program focused on increasing family cohesion and parental involvement in their children’s education). The grant will help these programs serve more students and ensure the young people have the cognitive, social and emotional skills they need to successfully navigate life.

For more information on the Community Foundation’s Ladders to Success program, please contact Gretchen Tomkies at [email protected] or go online to www.cfaac.org.

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