“The Orchard Foundation has been awarded a five-year, $2.5 million U.S. Department of Education grant that will be used to transform two Title I Avoyelles Parish schools – Simmesport’s Riverside Elementary and Plaucheville Elementary – into full-service community schools. The grant was recognized locally on February 9 during official announcements at both schools with community leaders and project partners in attendance.
Community schools meet the unique needs of the neighborhoods they serve by leveraging local nonprofit, private sector, and agency partnerships to bring services into school buildings. This includes services such as high-quality tutoring, health, mental health and nutrition services, and high-quality early learning programs, among others, for students and the community. Studies have found that well-implemented community schools can lead to improved student and school outcomes.
The Orchard Foundation grant was one of 42 Full-Service Community Schools grants announced in January. This year’s grant competition was the largest in the history of the program.
‘The Orchard Foundation is honored to be a recipient of one of the U.S. Department of Education’s Full-Service Community Schools grants designed to increase social, emotional, mental health, and academic support for students, educators, and families,” said Marjorie Taylor, Executive Director of The Orchard Foundation. “I am proud to say that our award is the first in Louisiana through the Full-Service Community Schools program. Through our partnership with the Avoyelles Parish School Board, we look forward to the opportunities that will be created through this funding in the communities of Plaucheville and Simmesport. We know that schools are the heart of our communities, and by transforming these two elementary schools into Full-Service Community Schools, the collaborative practices will lead to improved student and school outcomes. We are excited about the opportunity to bring together partners in this community to deliver pipeline services to students and their families.'”
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