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1. Dollar Wi$e
http://www.dollarwiseonline.org/
The United States Conference of Mayors’ National Dollar Wi$e campaign is an initiative to encourage cities to use their summer youth employment programs and incorporate financial literacy to educate youth in the community.
This year, DuTrac Community Credit Union, the Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque and East Central Intergovernmental Agency’s Summer Youth Employment program have worked together to offer financial literacy to over sixty youth. Upon completing the financial literacy, the youth have the opportunity to open a savings account through DuTrac. Once the youth have a savings account, the Community Foundation is willing to match each youth’s savings up to $100.00, providing an incentive for the youth to learn about their paychecks, the importance of saving and to establish a savings goal.
Future Talk, a summer youth employment program through the Multicultural Family Center also encourages financial literacy for participating youth. DuTrac provides financial literacy and assists youth in opening savings accounts and establishing savings goals. The Community Foundation will match each youth’s savings up to $108.00 to encourage and teach the importance of establishing a savings goal and account.
2. EITC
http://www.eitcfunders.org/
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable federal income tax credit for low to moderate income working individuals and families. Its purpose in part is to offset the burden of social security taxes and to provide an incentive to work. When the EITC exceeds the amount of taxes owed, it results in a tax refund to those who claim and qualify for the credit.
Each year there are several free tax preparation sites throughout Dubuque for residents to take advantage of. In 2008, a total of 1,864 free returns were completed and e-filed totaling $603,058 in EITC paid to qualified returns. The Community Foundation of Greater Dubuque, Project HOPE and Operation New View have been working along to promote EITC within the community along with the outreach task force.
The Community Foundation is now a part of EITC funders network Steering Committee for Community Foundations. It is a national board that brings together funders interested in the Earned Income Tax Credit, free- and low-cost tax preparation, and asset building. The Network seeks to increase awareness of EITC-related projects, foster collaboration, share information about the current status of EITC-related work, and help shape the future of the field.
3. Explorer Post
http://www.scoutsiowa.com/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=41&Itemid=59
Exploring is based on a unique and dynamic relationship between youth and the organizations in their communities. Local community organizations initiate a specific Explorer post by matching their people and program resources to the interests of young people in the community. The result is a program of activities that helps youth pursue their special interests, grow, and develop.
Explorer post can specialize in a variety of career skills. Programs are based upon five areas of emphasis: career opportunities, life skills, citizenship, character education, and leadership experience. Students are invited to partake in the opportunity to belong to one or more Exploring post. A post is a chartered business or organization that creates monthly meetings to teach students about the career the student has interest in. The Exploring career education program is for young men and women who are 14-20.
4. HEART
http://www.fourmounds.org/MissionPrograms/HEARTProgram/tabid/69/Default.aspx
The mission is to assist at-risk students who face barriers to self-sufficiency. These barriers include alcohol/drug abuse, poor health and nutrition, low educational achievement, poor employment history, criminal history and mental illness. The housing project addresses these barriers through a training model that enables participants to acquire education, employment and technical skills.
5. I-JAG-Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates:
http://www.i-jag.net/
I-JAG provides students the opportunity to experience work environments through job shadowing, internships, and part-time employment. It alsoprovides instruction in the following areas: career development, job attainment, job survival, basic skills, leadership and self-development, personal skills, life survival skills and workplace skills.
It is a work based learning program that provides students the opportunity to experience work environments through job shadowing, internships, and part-time employment.
6. PAVE:
http://www.nicc.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=173&Itemid=287
The PAVE program at Northeast Iowa Community College, Peosta Campus, is a secondary special education program for selected students. When you attend Pave you have the opportunity to participate in community college courses that allow you to explore vocational programs while completing your high school diploma.
The purpose of PAVE is to provide an individual vocational course of study which will enable you to become competitively employed, live independently, and strengthen interpersonal skills. Your school district pays for tuition, books, tools, and equipment. Contact the Keystone AEA representative at your high school for more information.
7. TRIO:
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html
The Federal TRIO Programs are educational opportunity outreach programs designed to motivate and support students from disadvantaged backgrounds. TRIO includes six outreach and support programs targeted to serve and assist low-income, first-generation college students, and students with disabilities to progress through the academic pipeline from middle school to post-baccalaureate programs. TRIO also includes a training program for directors and staff of TRIO projects and a dissemination partnership program to encourage the replication or adaptation of successful practices of TRIO projects at institutions and agencies that do not have TRIO grants.
To learn more about Project HOPE contact
Alyssa Hauser
Project HOPE Coordinator
email: alyssa@dbqfoundation.org
phone: 563.588.2700
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