Grant Proposal

To:  Verizon Foundation
http://foundation.verizon.com/grant/application.shtml  

RE:  CAREER READINESS CERTICATION PROGRAM (CRCP)

Dear Verizon Foundation,

SmartSolutions, Inc. is pleased to present this proposal for your review. We look forward to partnering with you to provide a computer literacy, basic literacy, and career readiness program for our learners who need to improve their basic literacy skills. We have identified over 200 at risk adults who are not employed and have trouble finding a job because of their low computer skills and basic literacy skills. The primary objectives of the Career Readiness Certification Program (CRCP) are to help all participants improve their computer literacy skills, achieve a score of three or higher on the WorkKeys assessment, prepare resumes, learn interviewing skills, and increase their basic language arts and math skills.

During the past year, we have been piloting the Career Readiness Certification Program with a small group of learners with low computer literacy skills and have seen significant improvements on their literacy assessments. Many of them have increased their computer skills and career readiness levels up from level two to levels three to four using manual worksheets. The Career Readiness Certification Program will provide learners with access to computer-based training programs such as GED and KeyTrain. Certified GED and computer instructors will be in the labs to facilitate.

We have seen measurable success and we are now seeking to expand our Career Readiness Certification Program to address the needs of all the at risk learners in our Certification Program. Our proposal requests $25,000 in funding to obtain hardware and training necessary to equip our computer lab and Community Center resource room and five remote learning centers each with five computers and one printer.  

We appreciate you taking an interest in helping our learners to develop their computer literacy skills through our initial 21st Century Career Readiness Certification Program. Please give me a call at 803-XXX-XXXX, if you require any further information or have any questions concerning this proposal.

Thank you,