May 23, 2008
Bowling
Green, Ky. - The Jessie Ball duPont Fund recently made a gift of $150,000 to support an innovative partnership between Western Kentucky University’s College of Education & Behavioral Sciences and the Housing Authority of Bowling Green (HABG).
According to Dr. Pam Petty, associate professor of literacy at WKU, the grant will enhance the ICAN2 program in which WKU education majors work directly with children in the afterschool program at the Housing Authority to help them be successful in school.
“The Complementary Learning After-School Program (ICAN2) provides four educationally-focused academies to reduce individual risk factors such as poor academic achievement and school failure, behavioral problems at school, and inadequate personal and social skills related to school dropout,” Petty explained.
“More than 150 WKU undergraduate and graduate students participate in ICAN2, providing testing and analysis, curriculum guides and lesson plans development, one-on-one and group activities facilitation, and more as they experience maximum diversity among the approximately 200 at-risk youth and their families participating in the initiative. HABG students receive specialized academic and social skills training in group settings and one-on-one to help reduce indicators of academic and social failure,” she said.
Petty said the program includes the following core components:
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WeeCAN – Approximately 110 HABG children, grades K-3, participate in language and literacy activities, math tutoring, and social skills and social expression activities.
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KidsCAN – Approximately 90 HABG children, grades 4-8, participate in reading, math and science activities, career exploration, and social skills and expression activities.
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ICAN – Intervention for approximately 10 middle grades (6-8) students who are either failing or have been identified as at risk for failing will include intensive reading, comprehension, writing, science, social studies and math-focused instruction, and social skills and social expression training activities.
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YouCAN Lead – Approximately 20 K-8 students identified as having exceptional abilities participate in enrichment activities including language of literacy, study skills, and gifted and talented immersion in social skills and social expression.
Abraham Williams, HABG executive director, expressed his appreciation for the partnership. “The Jessie Ball duPont grant has come at the perfect time to ensure that we can get over a financial gap while continuing the ICAN and Wee Can programs and adding new levels of the ICAN intensity to target other groups of our students.”
Petty said the program not only helps the students at the HABG, it also has an important impact on WKU education majors.
“Students in reading, math, science, and social studies methods courses will have rich opportunities to work closely with diverse populations of students in settings that allow for one-on-one and small group interactions,” she said. “WKU undergraduate and graduate students will be planning curriculum, planning and teaching lessons, units of study, and learning to assess and plan intervention for children not performing at grade level in core content areas as well as in literacy. WKU graduate students will also be involved in research projects, professional development planning for tutors at the HABG’s after school programs. These are ‘real world,’ authentic experiences with diverse populations of students who may or may not get to experience in traditional field experiences.”
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund makes grants to more than 330 eligible organizations identified by Mrs. duPont in her will. The fund has assets of more than $315 million and has awarded $250 million in grants since 1977.
The $150,000 grant will be made over a three-year period. The Jessie Ball duPont Fund requires a community match of the second and third year payments, which will total $100,000. The matching gifts can be made by individuals, corporations, or organizations.
Sharon Greene, senior program officer for the Jessie Ball duPont Fund, said: “The partnership between Western Kentucky University and the Housing Authority of Bowling Green is a prime example of the work that the Jessie Ball duPont Fund expects of its eligible research universities: to bring the skills and expertise of university faculty and students to help address community needs ‘on the ground.’”
During the grant review process, Greene made a site visit to WKU and met with Petty and Williams, as well as others involved in the program. She also toured the classroom facility where the ICAN2 Program takes place.
“I was impressed by the commitment and positive energy all of the partners in reaching their common goal of improving the lives of young people who might not otherwise participate in high quality after-school and other enrichment opportunities,” she said. “The trustees of the Jessie Ball duPont Fund were happy to invest in this important partnership and to challenge the local community to invest as well.”
More WKU news is available at www.wku.edu. If you’d like to receive WKU news via e-mail, send a message to WKUNews@wku.edu.
For more information, contact Pam Petty, (270) 745-2922.
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