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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOASD ESOL RSS - Oshkosh ARPA Application 2024 1 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funding Application for Non-Profit Entities, Community Groups, and Neighborhood Associations Due Date: March 1, 2024, 4:30 PM Application must be completed in full to be considered. Submit complete application & budget sheet electronically to citymgr@oshkoshwi.gov -or- Mail - City Manager¶s Office, 215 Church Ave ± PO Box 1130, Oshkosh WI 54903-1130 -or- Place in City Hall Dropbox Attachments, brochures or other materials may be included as part of the application packet. Application Review Criteria The electronic version (including email message and all attachments) cannot exceed 10 MB GENERAL INFORMATION 1. Name of Project/Program: 2. Organization Name: 3. Address: 4. Primary Contact Person: 5. Title: Phone: 6. E-mail 7. If applicable: Federal Tax Identification Number: 8. If applicable: DUNS number: Provide Mission Statement/Purpose: PROPOSAL OVERVIEW – must match Budget Overview sheet Funds Requested Total Project Cost Annual Organizational Budget $ $ $ ESOL Refugee Support Services Oshkosh Area School District 215 S. Eagle Street, Oshkosh, WI 54902 Lor Xiong ESOL Multicultural Outreach Coordinator 920-279-0216 lor.xiong@oshkosh.k12.wi.us 39-1414354 021114251 The purpose of the OASD ESOL Refugee Support Services is to integrate students into the community through academic, social, and post-secondary preparatory support while maintaining their own culture. 259,94377,500 259,943 2 PROPOSAL DETAILS (Please limit to 700 words) 1. PROGRAM/PROJECT APPROACH – include the following details, as applicable: a) Briefly describe the program/project you are requesting funds for. b) Describe the need for your program/project. c) Identify any other organizations in Oshkosh that address this need. d) Describe your level of collaboration with other agencies on this project. e) Is this a new, existing, or changed program? f) Specifically, what will you use ARPA funds for? g) Who will benefit and how? h) How will you prevent the duplication of benefits to end users? i) How many individuals/families will be served by this program/project? j) How will these funds help you respond to, or recover from COVID-19? k) For existing programs: How many people were served during the last program year? How many were from the City of Oshkosh? l) If existing, describe measurable impact has the program achieved to date (with examples) 2. PROJECT OUTCOMES a) If this is a continuing activity, describe a measurable outcome of your previous year's work regardless of funding source. b) Describe two anticipated measurable outcomes for your proposed project/program. c) Describe (if applicable) how proposed use of funds may achieve sustainability objectives as described in the City¶s Sustainability Plan. d) Describe (if applicable) how project and proposed use of funds will benefit underrepresented or marginalized individuals/groups, and/or achieve objectives contained in the City¶s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Plan. 3. DESCRIBE THE AGENCY'S AUDITING AND FISCAL CONTROLS a) Briefly describe your agency's fiscal oversight / internal controls to minimize opportunities for fraud, waste and mismanagement. b) How does your agency plan to segregate ARPA funds from other agency funds for purposes of identification, tracking, reporting and audit? 4. CONTINGENCY PLAN a) If your grant request is not fully funded, what adjustments are you prepared to make? 5. PROJECT BUDGET a) Briefly explain project revenues and expenses related to this proposal. This should match with the Budget Overview sheet. b) Be specific about how ARPA dollars would be spent. c) Provide details about how funds would be used by December 31, 2024. PLEASE COMPLETE THE ATTACHED BUDGET OVERVIEW AND SUBMIT WITH YOUR APPLICATION. 3 BUDGET OVERVIEW / INCOME AND EXPENSES ORGANIZATION NAME: ____________________________________________________ REVENUE SOURCE PROJECTIONS Estimated Funding for this Project/Program Proposed ARPA Funding Other Government Grants - list: OACF Funding OAUW Funding Donations/Other Fundraising Internal/Self-Funding Other ± list: TOTAL REVENUES $ EXPENSES REGULAR OPERATING EXPENSES Project/Program Budget (PROPOSED) Salaries/Benefits Occupancy Professional Fees/ Contracted Services Program/Office Materials Marketing/Printing Professional Development Supplies/Materials Other ± list: Other ± list: Other ± list: COVID RELATED EXPENSES (please identify) Other Other Other TOTAL EXPENSES $ NOTE: Revenues and Expenses must balance Oshkosh Area School District $77,500 $20,000 $162,443 259,943 WI Dept. of Children and Families $117,299 $1,500 $3,000 $7,782 $13,031 $25,000 $2,000 $16,000 Transportation $74,331 Resource Closet Food Assistance Program/Activity Expenses 259,943 1.PROGRAM/PROJECT APPROACH ±include the following details,as applicable: a)Briefly describe the program/project you are requesting funds for. Requested funds will be used to support the Oshkosh Area School District¶s ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages)refugee support services program.The ESOL refugee support services provides transportation assistance,mentoring services, academic support,and transitional needs for students with refugee backgrounds. b)Describe the need for your program/project. When refugee families arrive in Oshkosh,they are initially provided with a caseworker from a resettlement agency for 90 days upon resettlement.However,many of these families require support beyond this timeframe,leaving our students on the fringes. Despite our partnerships with local organi]ations to help provide support,many of them are overwhelmed,leading to refugee families being placed on lengthy waitlists.The ESOL refugee support services at OASD bridge this gap and enable school district staff to identify and address the ongoing needs of these families,providing them with essential resources until they can achieve a basic sense of independence. c)Identify any other organizations in Oshkosh that address this need. Organi]ations who may address similar needs are: Ɣ Winnebago Area Literacy Council Ɣ Cherith International Ɣ Community Clothes Closet Ɣ World Relief Fox Valley d)Describe your level of collaboration with other agencies on this project. We work closely with World Relief Fox Valley to integrate family¶s into the school district. e)Is this a new,existing,or changed program? This is an existing program. f)Specifically,what will you use ARPA funds for? ARPA funds will be used for providing a: Ɣ Resource Closet -to provide new students with refugee backgrounds with resources like school supplies,clothes,hygiene products,and food.We receive new students throughout the year and these are high needs items for families when they are resettled in Oshkosh. Ɣ Transportation -bus passes for families to attend school activities (i.e.parent teacher conference,graduation,etc.)and an additional vehicle to help provide new students with transportation to/from school. Ɣ Refugee Youth Mentor Program -to help supplement program development and provide experience for students enrolled in the mentor program. Ɣ Registration Fees for extracurricular activities -to give students the opportunity to join extracurricular activities (i.e.soccer clubs,youth sports leagues,etc.)and integrate into the community. g)Who will benefit and how? This program will directly impact students with refugee backgrounds and their families in the community,ensuring students have access to basic necessities for attending school and opportunities for successful integration into the community. Indirectly,the broader Oshkosh community will benefit from this program as it supports new families in adjusting to life in Oshkosh and empowers them to make positive contributions to the community. h)How will you prevent the duplication of benefits to end users? We have established partnerships with local organi]ations to prevent duplicated benefits. Moreover,our program has implemented processes to ensure equitable distribution of resources among students and their families. i)How many individuals/families will be served by this program/project? We are projecting 200 individuals to be served by this program. j)How will these funds help you respond to,or recover from COVID-19? As Covid-19 restrictions have been lifted and the federal government has increased their intake to receive refugees,these funds will help us respond to the needs of new refugee families being resettled within our school district. k)For existing programs:How many people were served during the last program year?How many were from the City of Oshkosh? During the last program year,200 individuals were served within our ESOL refugee support services and 109 individuals were served in our Refugee Youth Mentor program. A 100%of individuals served were from the City of Oshkosh. l)If existing,describe measurable impact has the program achieved to date (with examples) In FY 23,our ESOL refugee support services program significantly exceeded expectations by providing transportation assistance to 145 students,surpassing our initial projection of 60 students.This demonstrates the program's effectiveness in meeting the substantial demand for transportation support among refugee students. 2.PROJECT OUTCOMES a)If this is a continuing activity,describe a measurable outcome of your previous year's work regardless of funding source. In CY 23,our Refugee Youth Mentor II program,funded by the Oshkosh Area United Way,saw 45%of students experience growth in at least one of our nine program areas, including Social &Life Skills,Cultural Exploration,Peer Social Engagement,Academic Support,School Transition Assistance,Career Development,Health &Wellness Literacy,Financial Literacy,and Civic Engagement. b)Describe two anticipated measurable outcomes for your proposed project/program. Transportation -Transportation services for eligible students with refugee backgrounds will result in a 60%attendance increase for students served during the periods they receive transportation services. OASD Refugee Youth Mentoring services will result in 60%of students served to have accomplished service related goals in at least 1 of the 9 allowable services/activities. c)Describe (if applicable)how proposed use of funds may achieve sustainability objectives as described in the City¶s Sustainability Plan. The proposed use of funds will help achieve the safe and healthy community,and transportation and mobility objectives as described in the City¶s Sustainability Plan. Through our ESOL refugee support service,we are privileged to introduce students to safe and healthy community programs in Oshkosh.For instance,our Refugee Youth Mentor program,in partnership with the YMCA,teaches students how to access the YMCA and engage in a healthy lifestyle.With the proposed funds,students will have the opportunity to join athletic sports leagues and social activities,facilitating their integration into our community. Furthermore,as part of our ESOL refugee support service,we assist students in gaining transportation independence by teaching them how to use public transportation and safe walking/biking routes to and from school. d)Describe (if applicable)how project and proposed use of funds will benefit underrepresented or marginalized individuals/groups,and/or achieve objectives contained in the City¶s Diversity,Equity and Inclusion Plan. The use of proposed funds will benefit students with refugee backgrounds and their families,who are underrepresented and marginali]ed. 3.DESCRIBE THE AGENCY'S AUDITING AND FISCAL CONTROLS a)Briefly describe your agency's fiscal oversight /internal controls to minimize opportunities for fraud,waste and mismanagement. The Oshkosh Area School District employs several internal controls to minimi]e opportunities for fraud,waste,and mismanagement.These include: Ɣ Strict budgeting processes to ensure funds are allocated appropriately Ɣ Regular audits to assess financial practices and identify any irregularities Ɣ Separation of duties to prevent a single individual from having control over all aspects of a financial transaction Ɣ Training for staff on financial policies and procedures Ɣ Oversight by the school board and administration to ensure compliance with policies and regulations. b)How does your agency plan to segregate ARPA funds from other agency funds for purposes of identification,tracking,reporting and audit? ARPA funds will be segregated specifically to OASD ESOL refugee support services grant accounts,where it will be managed independently from other grants received. 4.CONTINGENCY PLAN a)If your grant request is not fully funded,what adjustments are you prepared to make? If the grant request is not fully funded,we will prioriti]e adjustments by the needs of our students and their families. 5.PROJECT BUDGET a)Briefly explain project revenues and expenses related to this proposal.This should match with the Budget Overview sheet. The OASD ESOL refugee support services program revenues are currently funded through the Department of Children and Families and the Oshkosh Area United Way, totaling $182,443. 64%of funds is budgeted for salaries and benefits to staff our Refugee Youth Mentors and Refugee School Impact assistants. 24%of funds is budgeted for transportation. 12%of funds is budgeted for program activities/fees,supplies and materials,and professional fees/contracted services. b)Be specific about how ARPA dollars would be spent. $25,000 -(Resource Closet)will be dedicated to provide students with winter clothing, hygiene products,clothing,and school supplies. $30,000 -to be used to purchase a van to transport students.This is extremely important during the winter,when new students arrive and do not have adequate clothing to walk to/from school. $3,000 -to purchase bus passes for families.New refugee families have no personal vehicle to attend school activities and parent/teacher conferences.These bus passes will be given to families to give them transportation independence to be involved in their children¶s education. $10,000 -to help supplement our Refugee Youth Mentor program and allow the program to create more cultural,social and life skills,and peer engagement activities/events for students enrolled in the program. $6,000 -to provide students with refugee backgrounds the opportunity to integrate into the community through sports leagues and programs that support academic/physical/social/mental well being.This will be used to cover registration fees and related supplies/materials. $2,000 -will be used to address any emergency food insecurities experienced by our students with refugee backgrounds. $1,500 -with limited storage space in our office,this amount will be used to rent a storage unit. c)Provide details about how funds would be used by December 31,2024. Funds to support the Resource Closet and transportation (vehicle and bus passes)will be used before 12/31/2024. Funds to help supplement the Refugee Youth Mentor program will be used by 12/31/2024.If funds are approved,we plan on preparing more activities and events for our students in the program to engage throughout the remainder of the school year,the summer,and beginning of the 24/25 school year. Funds to integrate students with refugee backgrounds into the community will be used by 12/31/2024.A majority of integration opportunities will be experienced during the summer. Funds to address emergency food insecurities will be used by 12/31/2024.With over 300 students with refugee backgrounds (and growing),we continually encounter students and families who reach out to our ESOL refugee support service team for assistance. Funds to address storage space will help cover the cost of the annual rental fee,and will be used before 12/31/2024.