(Miami, FL) The City of Miami Commission today accepted several grants that will sustain several of Mayor Manny Diaz’s initiatives in education and community organizations.

“This funding means that we can continue to serve the City of Miami’s neediest residents through these vital programs,” said Mayor Diaz. “The City of Miami will continue to seek alternate funds such as these to carry on these important initiatives.”

The Commission approved the acceptance of the following grants from The Children’s Trust to fund five education programs operated by the City of Miami during Fiscal Year 2009-2010. 

·         $506,481 to fund the Heart of Our Parks after-school program offering literacy activities, arts, science, recreation, parent workshops and fieldtrips to 360 students in seven City parks.

·         $95,622 for the Miami Learning Zone after-school program. The Children’s Trust provides an enhancement grant for the after-school program at Holmes Elementary offering tutoring, mentoring, arts, community science workshops, recreation, parent workshops and fieldtrips to 120 students.

·         $241,666 to fund two prevention programs: the Miami Youth Council, a youth civic engagement program in five City high schools serving 100 students, and the City of Miami Families First Parent Academy, the family literacy program serving 100 families of children ages 0-5.

·         $600,000 funding the City of Miami Truancy Reduction Program, a truancy prevention, truancy intervention, truancy court program with a multidisciplinary comprehensive approach to improving student attendance and academic performance by providing wrap around services to students who demonstrate truant behavior. The program has operated for two years in five City schools and serves over 500 families per year. This grant increases the funding from $480,000, expanding the program to five additional City schools. 

The Commission also approved funding for the Miami Network Integration Compassionate Empowerment (NICE) Program, which provides technical support, program development, fiscal development, board development and leadership skills training, grant writing, fundraising techniques and strategic planning skills to faith-based and community organizations. To date Miami NICE assist 38 faith-based and community organizations.

The commissioners approved a resolution accepting the remaining dollars from Program year one (1) in the amount of $165,000 from the Department of Health and Human Services. To continue to provide coaching, training, organizational development and operational skills to assist the smallest nonprofits remain strong operationally in order for them to continue to provide service to the needy in their community. They also accepted the required matching funds of $50,000 from The Children’s Trust to support Miami NICE for a period of one year with one additional renewal to continue to hire consultants to provide targeted services to Miami NICE grantees such as expert coaching, general counseling, hands on technical support, business planning, strategic planning and financial assessments.