2004 - 05 New and Continuation Grantees (07/04 - 02/06)
July 1, 2004
New NSIP Awardees List of Participants: (Select a State for the Grant Summary)
Primary Initiative: UCEDD/LEND awardees assist the State Commissions and national and community service programs with implementing a comprehensive program of training, technical assistance, and dissemination designed to increase the participation of individuals with disabilities in National Service in their local communities.
Grant Period: July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005
North Carolina
Pennsylvania
Grant Period: September 1, 2004 - August 31, 2005
Nevada
Grant Period: February 1, 2005 - January 31, 2006
Ohio
Continuation NSIP Awardees List of Participants:
Grant Period: July 1, 2004 - June 30, 2005
Primary Initiative: Generate and implement strategies with the UCEDDs' respective State Commissions and /or CNCS State Offices that will result in a measurable increase of applications from and enrollments of individuals with disabilities in National Service.
California
Delaware
Florida
Grant Summaries
North Carolina: Center for Development and Learning (UCEDD) at the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill; Deborah Zuver, (919) 962 - 3603, [email protected]
- In collaboration with the NC Commission's disability plan, CDL has developed a joint plan to offer strategies that promote inclusion of individuals with developmental disabilities in service activities. Project efforts will reach both potential AmeriCorps recruits and program directors.
- Self-advocates with the Project STIR team will learn about NC AmeriCorps projects getting underway, and identify opportunities for people with disabilities to serve as members. The Project STIR team will personally telephone self-advocacy group representatives throughout the state to make them aware of AmeriCorps projects in their local areas.
- Members of Project STIR will attend and participate in the 2004 National Leadership Institute on Service and Inclusion (September) to learn about successful strategies for addressing challenges of promoting inclusion among AmeriCorps projects.
- The Project STIR team will contract with the NC Commission to provide training to all AmeriCorps program directors as part of the November quarterly training. The session intends to prompt a shift in perspective and will introduce the concept of self-advocacy and its importance to people with developmental disabilities, especially those with cognitive disabilities, to empower them to lead productive lives in the community.
- During the third quarter (January-March), the Project STIR co-director will contact AmeriCorps program directors to learn more about each program's needs for recruiting and supporting a member with developmental disabilities during the 2005-06 project term and to request site visits. Project STIR will join local self-advocate representatives to visit three AmeriCorps programs - one each in the western, eastern, and central part of the state. As a result of the visits, local self-advocate representatives will know more about AmeriCorps opportunities for people with developmental disabilities in their communities.
- During the fourth quarter (April-June), CDL and the Project STIR team will present at the spring meeting of the NC Board of Commissioners. A training similar to the one in the fall will be conducted, providing a broad perspective on the programmatic and personal benefits of inclusive service projects. Information about this project's progress over the course of the year will also be shared.
Pennsylvania: UCLID Center (LEND) at the University of Pittsburgh; Jennifer Angelo, (412) 383 - 6596, [email protected]
- The UCLID Center at the University of Pittsburgh will form a collaborative network with Keys-Americorp and the Pittsburgh Public Schools' City Connection Program. Creating Individualized Transitions for Youth (City Connections) provides opportunities for youth to continue their education in urban community-based, community-focused learning and working environments.
- City Connection staff will help us identify six youths with disabilities interested in community service. The youths will partner with Americorp members or other National & Community Service organizations to participate fully in community service projects.
- The focus of this project is to increase the placement of youths with disabilities in national service. The following activities have been developed around this focus:
- We have a working relationship with PennServe, PennSERVE: The Pennsylvania Governor's Office of Citizen Service.
- Disseminate the findings from the project using at least three avenues. First, we will showcase the reflections from the six participating youths on the UCLID website. Second, we will describe the project to public and private organizations such as: Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Americorp, City Connections, United Cerebral Palsy and UCLID seminars. Third, we will develop an information package that can be used by other organizations/individuals to replicate the Youth Inclusion Project.
- We will provide consultation technical assistance to PennServe disability. Many information packets are available to assist with integrating persons with disabilities into service, such as A Guide to Creating & Maintaining a Diverse Corp, Kids Around Town, Access for All: A Resource Manual for Meeting the Needs of One-Stop Customers with Disabilities, Need in Deed materials. We will develop supplemental material that specifically addresses working with youth with disabilities in their transition to adulthood.
- We will meticulously document our experiences including youth reflection stories and strategies that overcome barriers to successful inclusion of youth with disabilities in service organization. A synopsis of their experiences will be displayed on the web page.
- We will place six youths with diverse backgrounds and developmental or physical disabilities in service placement settings.
- We will identify and highlight on the Youth Inclusion Project webpage service organizations across the state that support youth with disabilities in service projects.
Nevada: Research and Educational Planning Center (UCEDD) at the University of Nevada Reno; Mary Bryant, 775-784-4921, [email protected]
- Attend National Service Disability Inclusion Leadership Institute.
- Collaborate with the Nevada State Commission and the Nevada CNCS State Office to form a state team that will create and implement a plan to make national and community servicer a viable option for people with disabilities and CNCS projects in Nevada.
- Review existing literature from NSIP and other sources to find appropriate recruitment and training materials for Nevada CNCS projects, and information for people with disabilities about national and community service.
- Collaborate with the Nevada State Commission, Nevada CNCS State Office, and other community partners/team members to disseminate information to disability organizations throughout Nevada regarding opportunities for people with disabilities in national and community service.
Ohio: Nisonger Center (UCEDD) at the Ohio State University; Dr. Tom Fish, (614) 292-3727, [email protected] and Jillian Ober, [email protected]
The Ohio State University Nisonger Center UCEDD will continue to work in collaboration with Ohio Community Service Council (OCSC) and select AmeriCorps programs to accomplish the following objectives:
- Analyze member position descriptions to identify essential job functions needed to perform service activities effectively.
- Review current recruitment practices of programs as they relate to potential placement of individuals with disabilities.
- Facilitate partnerships between local AmeriCorps programs and local disability organizations.
- Assist with issues of reasonable accommodations (i.e.: design, local resources, etc.).
- Assist with the development and implementation of an effective process to monitor the number of individuals with disabilities participating in Ohio AmeriCorps programs.
- Provide disability education and awareness training, as appropriate.
- Facilitate statewide disability advisory group, as merited.
Nisonger Center staff will build upon previous minigrant accomplishments to foster and expand partnerships between Ohio AmeriCorps sites and such disability organizations as the Governor's Council on People with Disabilities, People First of Ohio, Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Independent Living, and Goodwill Columbus. project activities and collaborative partnerships will result in a marked increase in the number of inviduals with the most severe disabilities as applicants and members in National and Community Service programs. We anticipate the application and/or placement of 3 to 5 individuals with a broad range of disabilities in AmeriCorps programs across Ohio.
California: Tarjan Center for Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) at the University of California - Los Angeles; Olivia Raynor, (310) 794 - 1141, [email protected]
- To achieve the goal of increasing the number of individuals with disabilities serving in national service programs, this project will design and facilitate two California Service Inclusion Partnerships [SILP]; one in Los Angeles and another in the San Francisco Bay area. The SILPs will be comprised of representatives from 8-10 local disability organizations and local national service programs. Each partnership will create joint strategies and action plans to conduct outreach and recruitment of individuals with disabilities in their counties to become engaged in national service.
- Members will attend and participate in the 2004 National Leadership Institute on Service and Inclusion (September) to learn about successful strategies for addressing challenges of promoting inclusion and increasing the enrollment of persons with disabilities in National Service programs.
- The disability community will learn about national service opportunities and service positions. We will capitalize on the disability organizations knowledge of their constituents, their needs, and suggested methods to outreach and interest them in national service.
- The SILPs will also address the need for national service programs to conduct a self-evaluation of their physical and programmatic access, position descriptions, application and marketing plans in order to determine their "readiness" for including individuals with disabilities in their programs. Together the partnerships will develop joint strategies and action plans to conduct outreach and recruitment of individuals with disabilities in their counties. By developing outreach and recruitment strategies together, the intent is for recruitment systems to be put into place that will have long term and sustainable impact.
- The projected number of individuals with disabilities who will apply to national service programs is 120, leading to 60 individuals with disabilities enrolling to serve in the targeted counties.
Delaware: Center for Disabilities Studies (UCEDD) at the University of Delaware; Judy A. Greene, (302) 831 - 2028, [email protected] (RETIRED)
The Community Education unit of the UD Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS) together with the Delaware Community Service Commission (DCSC) and the CNCS State Office, will establish Delaware Partners in Service (DPS). We will continue the initiatives begun in the NSIP/LEAD project. This partnership will increase our capacity to attract and retain Delawareans with disabilities into CNCS programs. Outcome: At least 4-6 people will enroll in CNCS programs in Delaware in FY 2005-2006.
We will accomplish this goal through the following activities:
- Analyze and report the results of the 2004 Member and Alumni Survey, conducted during the LEAD grant, for the completely new Commission and new commission staff members and community partners.
- Use Survey results to assess training needs and to assist program directors and community partners to jointly create plans to incorporate the results into their Annual Plans and activities for member recruitment, training, and retention.
- Members will attend and participate in the 2004 National Leadership Institute on Service and Inclusion (September) to learn about successful strategies for addressing challenges of promoting inclusion and increasing the enrollment of persons with disabilities in National Service programs.
- Appoint an experienced National Service alumni as a part-time graduate assistant to represent the DPS to assist survey analysis, outreach, dissemination and training.
- Assist Commission and State Office program directors to develop inclusive recruitment strategies, including outreach to local disabilities organizations, brochures, service descriptions, and public service announcements.
- Incorporate the Delaware Service Inclusion Project (Delaware Partners in Service) into existing events that specifically reach 4000 members of the disabilities community.
- Continue inclusion of presentations & poster sessions about CNCS programs in existing State-wide conferences on volunteerism, advocacy, and disabilities.
- Increase the number of people with disabilities who apply to Delaware's National Service programs to 20 applications and increase placement by 2 people per program (a total of 4-6; approximately 200%).
- Assist NSIP with its research, training, technical assistance, and national conference development efforts for the Atlantic Cluster as requested.
Florida: Mailman Center for Child Development (UCEDD) at the Universty of Miami; Jean Sherman, (305) 243 - 6397, [email protected]
This project will involve collaborative activities of the UCE/CAD, Volunteer Florida (State Commission) and CNCS's Florida (State) Office. The primary activity will be the creation of a Florida local action group (FLAG) which will come together to share information, receive cross-training (disabilities and community service) and conduct activities that will result in the increase of individuals with disabilities in community service programs. The activities to be conducted for this project include:
- Implementation of the FLAG model.
- Creation of a personal profile (a skills, talents and preferences inventory) to be completed by potential members.
- Two cross training workshops.
- Coordination of a "service fair".
- Development of a web page specifically for the dissemination of the model across the state and, the creation/use of a exit satisfaction survey for members with disabilities.
- Technical assistance will also be provided to the State Commission and CNCS State Office as needed.
Members will also be attending and participating in the 2004 National Leadership Institute on Service and Inclusion (September) to learn about successful strategies for addressing challenges of promoting inclusion and increasing the enrollment of persons with disabilities in National Service programs. Project outcomes will include direct outreach to 100 individuals with severe disabilities, at least 40 of whom will apply as CNCS volunteers or members.
