Young Fathers Parenting Organization to Receive U of C Program Support
The Dovetail Project, a Southside non-profit agency that provides parenting and life skills to “high risk,” young African American fathers, is among the first round of agencies selected to receive up to $50,000 in funding and other support from the University of Chicago’s (U of C) Community Programs Accelerator initiative aimed at strengthening organizations near the U of C campus.
Included in the first group along with the Dovetail Project, are CoderSpace, which teaches website code writing to South Side youth, Polished Pebbles, a mentoring program for teen girls; and the Hyde Park Jazz Festival, which spotlights South Side musicians through its annual festival of performances.
“These four nonprofits are spearheading promising programs that are making a difference in the communities around our campus,” said Derek Douglas, Vice President, U of C’s Office of Civic, which is leading the Accelerator effort, “The Community Programs Accelerator will provide access to a comprehensive set of resources, including UChicago students and campus and professional partners, that will help strengthen (those) organizations and expand their impact for the long-term.”
In addition to receiving $50,000, these organizations will also receive professional assessments to determine their areas of need, workspace on the U of C campus for, two to three years, and technical assistance from the University and its partners to enhance their work in mid-South Side communities.
More than 50 area nonprofits applied to U of C’s Community Programs Accelerator initiative when it launched in May this year.
U of C’s intention was to provide support to three or four organizations at a time, to help them become self-sustaining. But after so many area nonprofits applied to the Accelerator, an Associates level was added to the program that will support an additional group of select organizations with project-specific needs.
“The high level of interest in the Accelerator underscored the need community-based organizations have for expanded capacity and resources,” said Shaz Rasul, Director of Community Programs. “The Associates program helps meet that need while also providing valuable field experience for UChicago students interested in community work.” The University is currently seeking student interns and volunteers. Students can apply online at communityprograms.uchicago.edu.
According to U of C spokesperson, Calmetta Coleman, the Associate organizations will receive help with specific projects, but will not receive funding.
The Associate groups includes Artifice, a Woodlawn-based, technology education organization; Chicago Hyde Park Village, a group that helps senior citizens; Featherfist, established to eliminate homelessness; KLEO Community Center, Quad Communities Development Corporation; Woodlawn East Community and Neighbors and the Woodlawn Broadband Expansion Project.
Support for associates will include needs assessments, planning and assistance from student interns working under the direction of Accelerator staff.
Along with one-on-one assistance for the selected organizations, the Community Programs Accelerator will offer a series of educational workshops open to any community-based nonprofit. The first workshop, “Doing Good, Writing Well,” will focus on grant writing and will take place Saturday, Nov. 15.
Organizations can register through Nov. 14 to attend the workshop.
The Community Programs Accelerator is one of several ways the University and its Office of Civic Engagement work with and engages nonprofit organizations and residents on critical quality of life issues.
The Accelerator will begin accepting applicants for the 2015-2016 program year in summer 2015.
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