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The efforts of Montana State University-Northern's After School Adventure Program (ASAP) were recognized on May 22 when they were awarded the 1999 AmeriCorps Award of Excellence at the AmeriCorps; Member Graduation Ceremony in Great Falls. The Montana division of the national Campus Compact organization selected the ASAP program for this distinction due to their dedication to the AmeriCorps Ethic of "Getting Things Done, Strengthening Communities, Expanding Opportunities, and Encouraging Responsibility." Montana Campus Compact, a higher education project for public and community service, funds several AmeriCorps projects throughout the state including the Montana Reads and Campus Corps programs, which support ASAP. The grant from Campus Compact plus the matching funds from MSU-Northern totals about $40,000. Dr. Korinne Tande, Dean of MSU-Northern's College of Education and the Campus Based Supervisor of AmeriCorps programs, credits Dr. Steve Sylvester, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences with his work in keeping Campus Compact funding at MSU-Northern. "This money has been instrumental in allowing us to create the viable, successful program that is such a benefit to our community," she explains. The ASAP program began at MSU-Northern last spring as a response to President Clinton's America Reads Challenge to improve the reading abilities of early primary grade students. Since that time, sixteen paid and unpaid tutors have worked with more than forty Havre Public School students, grades K-3. The program, which runs every weekday evening from 4-5 throughout each 6 week session, has realized tremendous results with an average 70% improvement between student's pre and post tests. Jeanne Kolis, MSU-Northern's AmeriCorps team leader comments, "The response and results have been so great that we are thinking of expanding into a summer program next year." The program has also been a boon for the MSU-Northern Education students who serve as tutors. Not only do the students receive training and hands-on experience helping children learn, those who complete a term of service with AmeriCorps are also eligible for an Education Award to help pay for college. "It's a great benefit to all involved," says Tande. "The elementary students get the help they need with their reading and our students enjoy valuable learning opportunities." Aurora Borealis Info, Disclaimer, Executive Council & Directors Return to Aurora
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