Early literacy, YAC grant cycles to begin

The Hot Springs Area Community Foundation recently announced opportunities for local organizations to apply for Early Literacy grants, formerly known as Grade Level Reading grants, and Youth Advisory Council grants.

Both cycles will operate separately but will be open for applications to be submitted beginning Thursday and ending March 31.

Grant applications for Early Literacy should focus on projects/programs that work to ensure that more children are kindergarten-ready in language and literacy by connecting them to age-appropriate literacy development resources from birth to age 4, a news release said.

Proposals focusing on increasing the number of preschoolers exposed to phonics by working with child care centers to implement pre-k phonemic awareness curriculum and/or parent and community engagement “will receive strong consideration,” it said.

The Hot Springs area community foundation board became involved with the statewide Grade Level Initiative in 2018 to address the nationwide problem of “third graders not being able to read at a thirdgrade reading level,” the release said.

Within a few years, statewide the spectrum was broadened into an Early Literacy focus, “as the original GLR program brought to light that the problems begin at a much earlier age and must be addressed much sooner.”

Since 2018, the local board has awarded 19 grants, totaling $132,659 specifically addressing the literacy issues with grants within area public schools, St. Luke’s Episcopal Day School, Visitors AME Chapel Church, and with funding for Imagination Library of the Ouachitas.

Last year, HSACF granted funds to Dawson Education Cooperative, which provides 16 Arkansas Better Choices Pre-k classrooms within the Lake Hamilton, Hot Springs, Fountain Lake, Mountain Pine, Cutter Morning Star and Jessieville school districts. Dawson Cooperative purchased literacy manipulatives for each classroom to help children learn through play (see related article).

Proposals must be submitted within the ARCF online portal on the specific Early Literacy application. The application is located at http://www.arcf.org/grantportal. The grant range will be from $2,500 to $10,000. Selected 2022-23 Early Literacy grants will be awarded in early May from the community foundation’s unrestricted endowment funds and funds from other private donor funds directed by the local board of directors.

The Hot Springs Youth Advisory Council, now under the umbrella of Leadership Hot Springs, will offer its application on the Arkansas Community Foundation website at Hot Springs Area — Arkansas Community Foundation (arcf. org), located on the Hot Springs Area Affiliate page, and following the Yac-click here to apply link. Applicants will be using a specific application for Youth Advisory Council grants.

Applications specific to programs or activities that support children and youth in Garland County are being solicited and will be considered by the youth council members who attend area Garland County school districts.

“The youth organization meets monthly, learning the art of philanthropy and uses available earnings from their own endowment fund in addition to additional money from their annual reception, attended by parents, grandparents’, and faithful donors. The reception allows the youth to explain their organization’s mission, purpose and grantmaking procedures and collect contributions,” the release said.

YAC grants range from $100 to $2,000. In the spring of 2022, the youths awarded $14,325 in grants to 16 area nonprofits for program supplies, books, therapeutic games, and toys for organizations such as the Garland County Imagination Library, Emergent Arts, Unlimited Resources, NICA Hot Springs Thoroughbreds and Camp Tanako. The group plans to award a similar number of grants again this year. Since 2002 the Hot Springs Area Youth Council has awarded over $178,222 in grants to area children and youth programs.

For information regarding granting opportunities through the community foundation, call Joyce Whitfield, executive director, at 501-372-1007, or email hotspringsarea@arcf.org.

Submitted photo ■ Youth Advisory Council advisers Susannah Wright and Brad Burleson are shown with YAC members Ben Hollis and Emily Mays at the group’s annual reception at the home of Robert and Mary Zunick. Members of the group presented their goals and objectives of the advisory council that has been active in the community since 2002.