Three Schools Receive Delaware Wraparound Services Initiative grants

Three Delaware schools have been awarded Delaware Wraparound Services Initiative grants from the Delaware Department of Education (DDOE).

As recommended by the Redding Consortium for Educational Equity, this competitive, one-time grant provides $4.5 million to districts and charter schools serving extraordinary percentages of children living in poverty. Funding is designed to support programs offered before school, after school and during summer months that also include health services like emotional wellbeing care and behavioral health assistance.

The following schools received funding.

The Bancroft School – Christina School District ($958,000)
The Bayard School – Christina School District ($1,238,000)
Kuumba Academy Charter School ($1,416,855)

The goal of the Delaware Wraparound Services Initiative grant is to establish or expand community learning centers that provide students with academic and non-academic opportunities as well as high-quality preventative health care and mental health assistance when schools are not in session.

“It is essential that we address the needs of the whole child as we work toward better student outcomes. It is also important that we build positive learning experiences that help our students connect their learning to the world around them. We are so excited to provide both enrichment and extra learning time for our students,” Christina Superintendent Dan Shelton said.

Schools may contract with third parties to operate some or all of the programs.

For Kuumba Academy Charter School, the grant provides funding to expand its already successful afterschool and summer enrichment program with Wilmington’s Community Education Building (CEB). An additional 160 students will be able to access the enrichment program’s academic tutoring, career readiness, counseling, arts education and social emotional programming designed to help low-performing students meet achievement standards in reading and mathematics.

Kuumba is also partnering with ChristianaCare to establish a student-based health center that will provide onsite preventative care, mental health, and acute care services for all 637 Kuumba Academy students.

“We have been working toward adding a school-based health center for several years,” Kuumba Academy Head of School Sally Maldonado said. “We are so grateful for this grant opportunity to bring this dream to fruition for our students and families.”

Additionally, Kuumba plans to leverage its existing partnership with CEB to expand its capacity to provide crisis services, coaching and development, mental health counseling and more to families. Kuumba’s ParentCamp and CEB’s Families Achieving More (FAM) programs will work with families to promote supportive environments in the homes and communities where students live.

“Kuumba is deeply committed to serving the whole child and family, and these additional services will help us make tremendous strides in doing just that,” Maldonado said.

For Christina, the Wraparound Services Initiative grant allows both The Bancroft School and The Bayard School to partner with the United Way of Delaware (UWDE) and the Life Health Center (LHC) to provide students with tutoring, extra-curricular activities, preventative health care and assistance with mental health. LHC will implement telehealth services as well as on-site services at the Stubbs Early Education Center (SEEC). At Bayard, LHC will support the school’s wellness center. Both organizations will invite and actively recruit families to participate in services.

“In recent years, our schools have learned about and implemented trauma-informed practices and protocols so that our scholars could engage in content-rich instruction in order to be successful citizens,” Christina School District wrote in its grant application. “We cannot do this in isolation. It is imperative that we partner with community and wellness organizations to assist with this key endeavor. This Wraparound Grant will be a valuable resource to support our work.”

Secretary of Education Mark Holodick praised the grant awardees on their commitment to meeting student, family and community needs.

“Strong schools are more than student learning buildings. They are community hubs, trusted spaces where families and children alike can access needed services,” he said. “These grants will help Kuumba, Bancroft and Bayard provide critical academic and health supports. When our families and communities are healthier, our students and schools are more successful.”

Media contact: Alison May, alison.may@doe.k12.de.us, 302-735-4006

DNREC Announces Grants to Support Communities With Pollution Restoration Projects

Virtual Public Workshop Scheduled for Nov. 16

Delaware communities adversely affected by environmental pollution can now apply for Community Environmental Project Fund (CEPF) restoration grants for the 2022 grant cycle through the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control.

The CEPF was created by the Delaware General Assembly in 2004 through legislation that authorized DNREC to establish a grant fund by withholding 25% of funds collected as penalties for violations of environmental regulations. These funds are returned to the communities where violations occurred through competitive grants to nonprofit organizations in support of community environmental projects. Grants are available to affected communities to fund restoration projects that result in:

Reduced pollution
Enhanced natural resources
Enhanced recreational opportunities

Applicants can identify the drainage basin location of their projects with a mapping tool available at dnrec.delaware.gov.

IRS tax-exempt organizations are eligible for CEPF grants of up to $25,000. These groups include civic and community organizations, educational institutions, counties, municipal governments, state agencies and quasi-state agencies. The application deadline is Friday, Dec. 17, 2021. The projects funded in this grant cycle can begin on July 1, 2022 and should be completed by June 30, 2023.

DNREC will hold a virtual public workshop focused on the CEPF program to assist applicants with finalizing their applications at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 16. Connection information for the workshop is posted at de.gov/dnrecmeetings, and at de.gov/cepf. Pre-registration is encouraged, but not required for participation.

Recent CEPF projects statewide have included a habitat restoration and scrap tire cleanup, a pollenating rain garden at a school, healthy home and energy assessments, a museum trail project, an energy savings model home for a low income community, a native plantings project to mitigate stormwater runoff, educational signage for a stormwater management site, funding to support plastic pollution education and a floating dock and canoe/kayak project that provides recreational access and helps stabilize canal banks.

The grant application, workshop details and more information about the CEPF are available online at de.gov/cepf.

Media Contacts: Michael Globetti, michael.globetti@delaware.gov; Joanna Wilson, joanna.wilson@delaware.gov

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Delaware State University Project Seeks Input on DNREC Outreach

Two-Year Project Aims to Improve Public Engagement

Delaware State University (DSU) will host virtual town hall meetings next month as part of a two-year research project to determine ways the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) can improve public outreach and community engagement.

DNREC awarded the University a $249,773 grant earlier this year to conduct the research, which will focus on traditionally underrepresented communities. The virtual town halls will be held throughout the winter, beginning in November. The first two town halls will be held Nov. 17 and Dec. 1. Times are yet to be determined, but will be published at de.gov/dnrecmeetings.

For this research, Delaware State defines traditionally underrepresented communities as “either a group of individuals living in geographic proximity to one another or a geographically dispersed set of individuals where either type of group experiences common conditions such as low income, high and/or persistent poverty, racial, ethnic and minority residential segregation, linguistic isolation, distressed neighborhoods and disproportionate environmental stressor burden.”

DSU will research the Department’s external communications, review feedback from stakeholders, and evaluate the needs and limitations of its current and past outreach programs to effectively reach and engage underserved communities and determine where improvements may be made.

“DNREC has a long tradition of transparency and public engagement to ensure the wise management, conservation and enhancement of the state’s natural resources,” said DNREC Secretary Shawn M. Garvin. “But we can always do better. This partnership with the University and the resulting research will help us take our outreach efforts to the next level.”

Delaware State University President Dr. Tony Allen believes that the university will also benefit from the work. “The project will provide research assistantship and internship opportunities to undergraduate students in the University’s Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice while enhancing the outreach component of the core values of the university,” Allen said.

The goals of the research are:

to improve DNREC’s ability to conduct effective outreach regarding regulatory actions and policy development;
to create awareness of DNREC’s processes and initiatives to underserved communities in Delaware;
to develop robust methods by which DNREC can provide efficient and informative community-oriented education and outreach.

The principal investigators of the grant are Dr. Raymond Tutu, professor and chairperson, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice; Dr. Anwar Ouassini, associate professor, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice; and Dr. Laurin Parker, associate professor, Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, Michael.globetti@delaware.gov or Jim Lee, JamesW.Lee@delaware.gov

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Energy Program Services Available Online

DNREC’s Energy Efficiency Investment Fund Goes Paperless

Businesses looking to improve energy efficiency and reduce costs through the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s Energy Efficiency Investment Fund can apply for the program online.

The online portal replaces the current practice for accepting applications in all other formats and will make applying faster and easier for customers, increase the efficiency of reviewing files and improve communication between applicants and program staff. The Energy Efficiency Investment Fund provides grants to help commercial and industrial customers replace aging, inefficient equipment and systems with energy efficient alternatives.

Users can enter project information, including materials and energy savings, into simple tables. The portal contains specialized calculators which streamline the details provided by the applicant to generate an estimated total project cost and grant award. Applicants can also share and store documents, allowing the EEIF team to communicate clearly and directly with the applicant.

“The portal will bolster a program that already saves Delawareans millions of dollars in annual energy costs and will create a more streamlined process for applicants,” said Dayna Cobb, director of the DNREC Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy.

Improving the energy efficiency of a business helps to decrease operating costs, reduce energy consumption and improve environmental performance. Visit de.gov/eeif to learn more about grant and loan programs available, or log on to eeif.smartsimple.com to apply to the program.

About DNREC
The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control protects and manages the state’s natural resources, protects public health, provides outdoor recreational opportunities and educates Delawareans about the environment. The Division of Climate, Coastal and Energy uses science, education, policy development and incentives to address Delaware’s climate, energy and coastal challenges. For more information, visit the website and connect with DNREC on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Media Contact: Michael Globetti, Michael.globetti@delaware.gov or Jim Lee, JamesW.Lee@delaware.gov.

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Delaware Receives an Additional Round of Specialty Crop Grant Funds from USDA

DOVER, Del. (May 6, 2021) — The Delaware Department of Agriculture (DDA) received an additional round of funding to enhance the competitiveness of Delaware-grown specialty crops through USDA’s Pandemic Assistance Program. USDA awarded each state department of agriculture an allocation based upon their most recent available value of specialty crop cash receipts and acreage of specialty crop production in the state. As a result, Delaware received an additional $465,433 under H.R. 133 – the Consolidated Appropriations Act (H.R. 133 Stimulus Funding) to distribute through a competitive grant process.

Specialty crops cover agricultural products, including fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, nursery crops, and floriculture. Projects should benefit the specialty crop industry as a whole, sustain the livelihood of Delaware farmers and strengthen Delaware’s economy. Applicants should look to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through:
1. Leveraging efforts to market and promote specialty crops;
2. Assisting producers with research and development relevant to specialty crops;
3. Expanding availability and access to specialty crops; and
4. Address local, regional, and national challenges confronting specialty crop producers.

DDA is prioritizing applications under this funding that respond to needs relating to COVID-19 impacts that address local, regional and national challenges confronting the specialty crop industry. This may include projects to assist farmworkers, projects to fund farmers, food businesses, and other relevant entities to respond to risks and supply chain disruptions, and other projects.

For this specific funding round, DDA is offering grants between $5,000 and $100,000 for projects that may last one to nearly four years in length. Grant applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. on May 26, 2021.

Agricultural producers, nonprofit organizations, government entities, for-profit companies, or educational institutions based in Delaware or with a business or educational affiliation based in Delaware can submit applications. Funding cannot be used for field crops, such as corn and soybeans, or animal agriculture. DDA’s 2021 Specialty Crop Block Grant Program – H.R. Stimulus Funding Request for Proposal outlines priority issues affecting the industry and needs in response to the COVID-19 pandemic that applicants should consider when putting together a submission.

The grant evaluation team will review submissions, with selected projects included in the Delaware State Plan for USDA review and approval.

Past Delaware projects have included research on biological control of spider mites in watermelons, developing and testing lima bean varieties, agricultural literacy projects to increase consumption of specialty crops in youth, and growing consumer awareness of Delaware’s specialty crop industry.

The focus of many specialty crop grant projects in Delaware has often been on fruits and vegetables. However, qualified applicants should also consider projects related to Delaware’s horticultural, floriculture, and nursery crop industries impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information about the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program contact DDA’s Marketing Specialist Ese.Jessa@delaware.gov, or visit online at https://de.gov/scbg to obtain an application.

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