Graceland University has been awarded two grants that total $266,670 to support youth programs throughout south central Iowa. The Iowa Commission on Volunteer Service (ICVS) announced an award of $145, 670 to support 24 full-and-part-time AmeriCorps workers. The Dekko Foundation matched those funds with an additional $71,000 for the AmeriCorps program.
AmeriCorps is sometimes described as a “domestic Peace Corps” for those who want to devote a year or two to community service. AmeriCorps members will become involved in after-school programs, tutoring, summer recreation, safety or other efforts that encourage education and youth development. Since 1994, more than 4,000 Iowa residents have provided more than 5.2 million hours to local communities through AmeriCorps. Members receive a living stipend and an education award that may be used for tuition or school loan payments. The Dekko Foundation is also providing an additional $50,000 to enable Graceland to initiate its own youth outreach programs. Funding could support such efforts as summer camps, workshops, transportation to university events, or campus training sessions for youth and their leaders. Projects could also occur in communities included in the six-county area.
“Graceland already is providing many resources for area youth,” commented Greg Sutherland, the university’s VP for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions. “The AmeriCorps program and Dekko Youth Development Fund will help us move to a whole new level of service.”
The grant award is the result of several years of effort. In 2006, GU grant writer Tabor Nowlin developed an AmeriCorps proposal for a program to train future leaders of non-profit organizations. The proposal was not funded, but it caught the attention of Volunteer Service Commission staff. They awarded Graceland a planning grant in 2007 to refine and resubmit the proposal. Shirley Kessel, of the Lamoni Community Schools, became director of the planning effort, working with Nowlin and Graceland’s Director of Government Relations Tom Morain, and consulting with ICVS and Dekko staff.
Each of the six counties will set up a coordinating committee drawn from local organizations that work with youth. They will include schools, the extension service, law enforcement agencies, religious organizations and others involved with youth. The committees will develop a job description for an AmeriCorps member based on local needs. They will also recruit and supervise the member through the year.
“This grant proposal from Graceland University has the potential to open so many doors for young people in south central Iowa,” said Sharon Smith, Dekko Foundation program director. “They will be exposed to culture, ideas, entrepreneurship and hope. The Dekko Foundation supported this project because our board believed that it had the potential to change lives.”
To learn more about the project or to inquire about becoming an AmeriCorps member, contact Tom Morain at Graceland, 641-784-5053 or Shirley Kessel, 641-784-7235. 
