SAM awards $192,000 to Local Youth-Serving Organizations
At today’s Out-of-School-Time (OST) Collaborative Meeting, The Spartanburg Academic Movement (SAM) announced $192,000 in funding awarded to 14 youth-serving program providers working across Spartanburg County. The “Rapid Resource” funds were made available as part of a larger investment in Spartanburg County’s collaborative action for responsive academic recovery efforts related to Covid-19 and SAM’s longstanding drive to build equity across the systems impacting the lives of children and families in Spartanburg County.
“We know that our OST program providers are in a unique and powerful position to help our youth recover academically, socially, and emotionally from the impacts of the pandemic. Each awardee has already demonstrated a commitment to quality programming and best practices for youth development as partners with the Collaborative. We knew they were best-positioned to identify the needs they could fill within the scope of their program and staff capacity. Each is offering innovative approaches to help meet the needs of our youth,” explained Meghan Smith, Director of College and Career Readiness at SAM.
“In reviewing the grant requests, we were truly impressed with the very intentional way our partners addressed the need to get their services into underserved communities. From addressing transportation to forming inter-agency services, and providing new methods for accessing successful programs, it became clear that these grant awardees are doing all they can to help our youth build resiliency, recover learning loss, and strengthen skills that will help them be successful,” said Savannah Ray, SAM’s Director of Educational Partnerships
From increasing mentorship match slots for students whose grades have dropped significantly during the pandemic (Big Brothers, Big Sisters) to funding a new partnership between HALTER and Spartanburg Mental Health to provide therapists needed to serve students currently under psychiatric care, grantees will be implementing a broad range of interventions designed to mitigate learning loss and the social-emotional-learning gaps created by the pandemic.
“As summer rapidly approaches, we recognize the many ways we can continue to build the educational ecosystem in support of our schools and families. Our Out-of-School-Time partners are well-positioned to assist this process, and we look forward to our ongoing collaboration as they advance this work. We congratulate each of them for their award and thank them for their dedication.” said Russell Booker, SAM Executive Director.
Grant awards support the following OST Collaborative partners and programs:
BARS Academy: Virtual Clubs, $15,000
Bloom Upstate: In Full Bloom Program, $15,000
BRUH Mentorship: ScholarsConnected Scholars Virtual Online Program, $15,000
City of Spartanburg: Walk in My Shoes Summer Youth Internship Program, $15,000
HALTER: HorsePower, $15,000
Mental Fitness: Mental Health Workshops for Minority Youth Organizations, $15,000
NESSA In Your Neighborhood: R.A.W Boot Camp, $15,000
Spartanburg Science Center: The Project Place, $5,000
Speaking Down Barriers: Writer’s Well Youth Fellowship Program, $15,000
YMCA: Summer Learning Loss Prevention, $15,000
Uplift: Tutoring Program & Cares Fund, $15,000
Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS): Recovering, Rebuilding, & Reimagining OST Mentoring for “At-Risk” Children, $15,000
Hub City Farmers Market: HCFM Youth Farm, $7,000
Girl Scouts: Spartanburg Summer Blast, $15,000
SAM’s OST Collaborative formed to close persistent opportunity gaps by improving, expanding, and sustaining high-quality afterschool and summer programs for middle and high school-age youth. Collaborative meetings and training for its partners have continued throughout the pandemic. Learn more about SAM’s OST COLLABORATIVE or contact Savannah Ray or Meghan Smith, co-leaders of the group.
The Spartanburg Academic Movement is a nonprofit organization and community movement working to improve economic mobility, anchored in building equity and academic achievement, cradle through career, across Spartanburg County, SC.