The University of Notre Dame has received a $640,108 grant from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. This funding, provided through the Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF), is part of a total award of $1,001,812, with 63.895 percent financed by federal sources and 36.105 percent by nongovernmental sources. The grant will support the capacity-building efforts of Tutor-ND, Notre Dame’s learning design hub that connects tutors with cognitive science and evidence-based tutoring practices.

Through this grant, Tutor-ND will collaborate with schools and community organizations to recruit, train and support 500 volunteers who will serve preK-8 students from diverse backgrounds. These volunteers will work in the greater South Bend region and in schools and after-school programs across the country, including those partnered with the Alliance for Catholic Education.

This marks Notre Dame’s second year of funding from AmeriCorps VGF. Last year, 570 skilled volunteers served 25,782 hours across 25 community organizations, delivering educational services valued at nearly $2 million.

AmeriCorps provides support to community organizations to help them to alleviate poverty, expand capacity in organizations and build economic opportunity through community-driven efforts across the country. Volunteer Generation Fund grants are used to strengthen community-based entities’ ability to recruit, manage and support skilled volunteers. At a time of social need, when Americans of all ages are looking for ways to give back, AmeriCorps seeks to fund effective approaches that strengthen the capacity and impact of volunteers and invest in innovative volunteer management practices.

“This new funding allows us to support volunteer tutors through learning design teams,” said Michelle Luna, assistant research professor and managing director of Tutor-ND. “These teams start with evidence-based programs and practices and draw on the expertise of teachers, principals, cognitive scientists, clinical psychologists and teacher educators to continuously improve tutoring. It’s a triple win: expanding access to high-impact tutoring, making scientific discoveries that enhance the quality of the tutoring programs, and addressing workforce readiness by providing apprenticeships for future leaders in education and science.”

Kati Macaluso, director of the ACE Teaching Fellows Master of Education program at Notre Dame, emphasized the benefits for aspiring teachers. “We’re blessed to have a program that brings volunteer tutors, many of whom are aspiring teachers, face-to-face with students, allowing them to immerse themselves in the relationship building, evidence-based practices, planning and preparation vital for fostering growth in literacy and math.”

One notable example of the impact of AmeriCorps VGF funding is Darden Elementary, a Title I school in South Bend. Over the past three years, Darden has focused on ensuring its students achieve reading proficiency by third grade, aligning with Indiana’s new reading law. By implementing several improvement strategies, including high-impact tutoring, Darden’s third-graders achieved a 76.2 percent pass rate on IREAD-3 last year, up from 62.4 percent in 2022, significantly outpacing both the district’s and the state’s average growth during this period.

Darden’s principal, Patty Karban, expressed her gratitude: “I love South Bend students and know they are our future. Thanks to the support provided by Notre Dame’s AmeriCorps VGF grant, our students are making great gains and building bright futures. Each student has formed a lasting connection with their tutor, and many can now see themselves attending college.”

Originally published at ace.nd.edu.

Sister Draru Mary Cecilia, LSMIG, receives Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education

2024-10-25T08:00:00-04:00

Sister Draru Mary Cecilia, a member of the Little Sisters of Mary Immaculate of Gulu and executive director of the African Sisters Education Collaborative (ASEC), received the 2024 Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education following an evening Mass on Wednesday (Oct. 16) on the campus of the University of Notre Dame.

John Staud, executive director of the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE), and Rev. Lou DelFra, C.S.C., director of pastoral life for ACE, presented the award.

“Sister Draru and her colleagues put into action their knowledge that educating a sister results in far-reaching impacts: in health care, in building infrastructure, in launching income-generating projects and especially in Catholic schools,” Staud said. “To date, ASEC has served well over 10,000 sisters through its programs, and that number continues to grow thanks to the leadership and the remarkable witness to faith, hope and love of Sister Draru Mary Cecilia.”

As executive director of the collaborative, Sister Draru oversees the education for Catholic sisters in 10 African countries. She has spent much of her life working to expand women’s education in Uganda and elsewhere on the African continent. Under Sister Draru’s direction, ASEC provides leadership formation, supports religious sisters completing undergraduate and graduate studies at American universities, and leads service-learning initiatives for religious sisters serving in Africa. For those in the Global North who grapple with the challenges of disaffiliation from religion, the growth of Catholicism in sub-Saharan Africa provides a sharp contrast and a sign of hope.

Established in 2003 by the University of Notre Dame as the Alliance for Catholic Education marked its 10th anniversary, the Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education honors those who have made generous, lifetime commitments to sustain and strengthen Catholic schools. It is the highest honor bestowed by ACE.

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AmeriCorps awards Notre Dame funding to connect tutors with evidence-based practices

Sister Draru Mary Cecilia, LSMIG, receives Notre Dame Award for Outstanding Contributions to Catholic Education