Porter-Leath Memphis Generations

The AmeriCorps program offers a 2 or 3 service term which allows members to serve in an educational setting. Members receive a living allowance and training during their service term. Upon successful completion the member is eligible to receive an education award equivalent to the percentage of a PELL award based on their service term. Enrichment members serve 3 months in early childhood centers working directly with children birth to four years. These members provide literacy enrichment activities to pre-assigned children to boost assessment scores from beginning to end of the school term. The AmeriCorps members partner with classroom teachers to goals for academic enrichment. Each member works one-on-one or in small groups with children to promote literacy skills that include the domains in phonological awareness, print awareness, early writing and alphabet knowledge. Children served will increase their literacy skills and will enter kindergarten ready to learn. Outreach members plan and participate in outreach activities, during their 3-month term, throughout Shelby County, focusing on high poverty zip codes to increase the number of children birth to five years who receive a high-quality age-appropriate book monthly through Books from Birth (BfB), the Shelby County branch of the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. Additionally, members input enrollment information in the Books from Birth database, as well as contact families to update information to assure delivery of books. Vision Screening members serve in a 2-month term providing vision screening services to the children participating in Early Head Start, Head Start, Pre-K and Preschool sites according to the established schedule. Serving in teams of two the members will use the Spot Vision Screener to ensure children are screened within the first nine weeks of the academic year.