ILLINOIS STATE LIBRARY

Penny Severns Family Literacy Program

Expected Outcomes | Application and Forms | Supporting Documentation | Eligibility and Program Requirements | Funding

Grant projects provide integrated, intensive instruction to improve the basic reading, writing skills, math or English language proficiency of parents and children together. Services include adult education, child education, parenting education, literacy-based, interactive, parent-child activities and library services.

Projects also strengthen the ability of the parent to foster educational achievement and increase their ability to use the resources and services of the library. Services are provided through a partnership between a public library, an adult educational agency, and an organization that serves at-risk children.

Expected Outcomes

Increased skills in reading, writing, math and/or English language for the adult caregiver(s) and children.
Increased knowledge of parenting.
Increased ability to use the public library.

Application and Forms

All Literacy grant applications are due March 15.

Application Due March 15
Instructions for Completing Fillable PDF Grant Forms
Grant Reviewer's Scoring Rubric
Reporting Forms

Supporting Documentation

Partner agencies (those specifically named on page 2 of the Penny Severns Family Literacy application and who are not the submitting agency) must provide a letter of support detailing their responsibilities to the project.

Any additional participating agencies in the literacy project must attach a statement detailing their significant responsibilities to the literacy project. Each letter should describe their cooperation, coordination, and services to the project and include the signatures of organization representatives.

If the submitting agency is a not-for-profit entity, submit a copy of the Internal Revenue Service Tax Ruling on Determination Letter.

Special Note to Agencies Partnering with the Chicago Public Library

For Family Literacy applications, Chicago area agencies that propose to cooperate with a Chicago Public Library branch as a library partner must contact the Chicago Public Library (CPL) and get approval of their participation in writing. Responsibilities of both Chicago area agencies and the CPL are outlined below:

Responsibilities of Chicago Area Agencies

Immediately contact the local CPL Branch Manager to discuss the Penny Severns Family Literacy proposal in detail.
Submit a draft copy of the Penny Severns Family Literacy grant proposal to the local CPL Branch Manager to review, edit, if necessary, and ultimately, approve the proposal. Once approved, the literacy agency will submit a letter of participation to the Branch Manager, reiterating the scope of library services stated in the proposal. The letter of participation should be on the agency's official stationery, and returned with signatures from the 1) Representative of the literacy partner agency, 2) CPL Branch Manager, and 3) CPL District Chief or Regional Director. Please include a stamped return envelope addressed to your literacy program. The CPL District Chief will send the original, signed letter back to your agency using this envelope.
Each Penny Severns Family Literacy proposal requires a separate letter of approval/participation.
This outreach to CPL is the responsibility of the local literacy agency.
Please note: The letter must received by the Branch Manager by February 21 to ensure the letter can be signed by the appropriate District Chief and returned to the literacy agency prior to the March 15 application due date.

Responsibilities of the Chicago Public Library

Once the Branch Manager approves the proposed project and signs the letter of participation, the Branch Manager will submit the completed copy of the Penny Severns Family Literacy proposal to the District Chief/Regional Director along with the signed letter of participation and a stamped return envelope addressed to the literacy agency.
Once the District Chief approves the submission, the CPL branch will be notified. The District Chief will return the original signed letter of participation to the literacy agency.

The signed letter of cooperation from the Chicago Public Library must be submitted electronically with the completed application due March 15.

Informational Webinars

Penny Severns Family Literacy grant informational webinars are recommended for all Secretary of State funded Penny Severns Family Literacy grantees or any agency interested in applying for the program.

Penny Severns Family Literacy Grant Information Webinar Recorded January 15, 2015
Penny Severns Family Literacy New Grantee Orientation Recorded September 17, 2014
Family Literacy Integration of Five Required Components Recorded September 12, 2012

Eligibility and Program Requirements

Applicant Eligibility Requirements

Three provider agencies are required to work as partners:

Adult educational agencies
Organizations serving at-risk children
Public libraries recognized by the State Library as meeting the requirements of full membership in a regional library system

Any of these entities may be the submitting agency.
One agency may be both the adult literacy provider and the organization serving children at risk if there are separate departments providing each of these services within that agency. In that case, separate services for each providing department must be clearly delineated.
Partner agencies are considered equal partners in the project.
For-profit educational entities are ineligible to apply.

Participant Eligibility Requirements

Adult caregivers who are 17 years of age or older and not enrolled in school.
Function below the 9th grade level or student performance level 7 in English proficiency, and
their children ages 0–16.

Programming Requirements

Adults must participate in educational skills assessment, instruction in Adult Basic Education (ABE) and/or English as a Second Language (ESL), parenting education, parent and child together activities (PACT), and instruction in public library services.
Children must participate in children's education, parent and child together activities (PACT), and instruction in public library services.
Instruction may be delivered via formal and informal educational activities.
GED instruction is not allowed.

Funding

Public funds awarded under this grant range up to $35,000, with first year grant amounts not exceeding $25,000. Five projects are allowed. Total awards cannot exceed $180,000 per agency.

Allowable Costs

Personnel (including instructor's wages)
Contractual
Travel
Library and instructional materials (print and non-print)
Supplies, postage and printing
Administrative and facilities costs not to exceed 10% of total grant request

Costs not allowed

Equipment
Food
Furnishings
Out-of-state travel
Promotional items
Background checks

For more information about Penny Severns Family Literacy, please call 217-785-6921 or email literacy@ilsos.net.