Schools of Hope AmeriCorps Project

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Schools of Hope AmeriCorps Project

The Schools of Hope AmeriCorps Project is based in Madison, Wisconsin. It provides literacy tutors to elementary school students.

The Schools of Hope Project began in 1995 as a civic journalism project by the Wisconsin State Journal and WISC-TV that studied how active community engagement could address critical local area needs. Educational issues quickly emerged as a community priority. A Leadership Team comprised of community leaders was convened by United Way of Dane County. They reported the achievement gap between stude

nts of color and their white peers as a growing concern. Upon further study they identified tutoring as a method of addressing this challenge, and in 1998 the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) awarded a grant to provide AmeriCorps*VISTA members to serve in Madison elementary schools. The program has continued to receive grant support from CNCS to provide first AmeriCorps*VISTA and now AmeriCorps members who serve as tutor coordinators in Dane County elementary schools. The grant is matched with United Way of Dane County funds as well as in-kind resources from the participating school districts. Since the Schools of Hope Project began in Madison in 1998, it expanded to include the Sun Prairie Area School District in 2005, Verona Area School District in 2006, and Middleton in 2010. It currently serves select elementary schools in Madison, Middleton and Sun Prairie. The Schools of Hope Project was evaluated in 2012 by Dr. Annalee Good, a national researcher who studies academic tutoring programs. She found that Elementary SOH has a positive impact on student academic achievement in literacy as measured and triangulated using Text Reading Level (longitudinal), grade reports and teacher surveys. Tutored students showed greater gains in reading than a comparison group of non-tutored peers who were matched based on gender, race/ethnicity, English language proficiency and income.

05/11/2026

Due to the increasing challenge and uncertainty of grant funding, United Way of Dane County and Madison Schools - MMSD have decided that Schools of Hope will end at the conclusion of the current school year (2025-2026).

It has been a privilege to support literacy in Madison-area schools and we are sad to say goodbye to such an amazing program after decades of service.

Our gratitude goes out to all of our current and past AmeriCorps members, community volunteers, and partners who have been such an integral part of our program. Thank you!

Serve Wisconsin

05/04/2026

We are so grateful for the amazing teachers we support at Madison Schools - MMSD. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
Our educators at the Madison Metropolitan School District help make our district a strong, connected community — one where students are encouraged to dream big and supported every step of the way.

Thank You to our Teachers for inspiring students to explore their passions, discover their potential and thrive in a place where they feel truly supported and valued.

We appreciate you today and every day!

04/21/2026

Happy National Volunteer Week! We are so grateful for all of the community volunteers that tutor with us and support literacy in Madison Schools - MMSD!

Happy !

Thank you to all of the volunteers that make a difference in Wisconsin and across the nation! Thank you for the impact you have on communities and individuals through your service!

We greatly appreciate the legacy of that has been made by community volunteers and national service participants through AmeriCorps and AmeriCorps Seniors.

If you are looking for opportunities across Wisconsin to volunteer, visit the Volunteer Wisconsin website at https://www.volunteerwisconsin.org/

Wisconsin Department of Administration America's Service Commissions Wisconsin Volunteer Coordinators Association

03/19/2026

We’re thrilled we had our AmeriCorps team together today to pack and distribute books to the students we tutor in 8 Madison Schools - MMSD ❤️

As part of our Books of Hope initiative, each of our 300+ students are receiving 5-6 books to take home to enjoy with their families and help build their home libraries 📚

Our gratitude goes out to Books4School for always collaborating with us on this project and for hosting us today! And a big thanks to our partners from Madison Schools - MMSD and Morgridge Center for Public Service who joined us to help pack book bags today! ✨

United Way of Dane County
Serve Wisconsin

03/11/2026

Happy AmeriCorps Week! To all our current and past AmeriCorps Members - thank you for your service!!

United Way of Dane County
Serve Wisconsin

02/26/2026

It’s time to introduce another AmeriCorps member on our 2025-2026 team! 🎉

Meet TeJah (she/her)! She is one of our awesome new members and she’s serving at Leopold Elementary this year. TeJah attended Leopold when she was in elementary school so she wanted us to share these amazing throwback photos from her picture days during elementary school. She’s looking forward to connecting with the current students at Leopold this semester 📚

TeJah’s favorite children’s book is Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes. We’re so happy to have you on our team, TeJah! ✨

Madison Schools - MMSD
United Way of Dane County
Serve Wisconsin

02/12/2026

In the past couple of months, we’ve had a few more AmeriCorps members join us, so it’s time to introduce another amazing member on our 2025-2026 team! 🎉

Meet Collette (she/her)! She is one of our awesome new members and she’s serving at Hawthorne Elementary this year. She’s looking forward to working with students to help them build their reading and writing skills 📚

Collette’s favorite children’s book is Weekend with Wendell by Kevin Henkes. We’re so happy to have you on our team, Collette! ✨

Madison Schools - MMSD
United Way of Dane County
Serve Wisconsin

01/13/2026

Repost Serve Wisconsin:

Next Monday, January 19, is Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service, when Americans volunteer to honor Dr. King’s life and legacy and improve their communities.

This , volunteer your time, talent, and resources to strengthen and enrich your community! Whether you prep food in a soup kitchen, organize donations at a local shelter, or provide extra support at a school, hospital, or community organization, what you do makes a world of difference.

For service ideas, check with local agencies and/or search Volunteer Wisconsin at https://www.volunteerwisconsin.org/ for potential projects on and throughout the year.

United Way of Dane County
AmeriCorps
Madison Schools - MMSD

10/16/2025

It’s time to introduce another amazing AmeriCorps member on our 2025-2026 team! 🎉

Meet Jamie (she/her)! She is one of our awesome new members and she’s serving at Lake View Elementary this year. She’s looking forward “to helping our little learners get more confident, accurate, and self-efficacious in their reading!” 📚

Jamie’s favorite children’s book is The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. We’re so happy to have you on our team, Jamie! ✨

Madison Schools - MMSD
United Way of Dane County
Serve Wisconsin

10/10/2025

It’s time to introduce another amazing AmeriCorps member on our 2025-2026 team! 🎉

Meet Lily (she/her)! She is one of our awesome returning members and she’s serving at Emerson Elementary this year. In her own words, “Last year, I served at Kennedy Elementary and I loved my time at the school (Shoutout to the amazing staff and students there!) This year at Emerson, I look forward to seeing how my role functions at a smaller school, furthering my literacy & tutoring knowledge, and building partnerships with community volunteers.” Fun fact: Lily’s grandmother, born in 1928, attended Emerson. What a cool connection! 📚

Lily’s favorite children’s book is The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. We’re so happy to have you on our team, Lily! ✨

Madison Schools - MMSD
United Way of Dane County
Serve Wisconsin

Address

2059 Atwood Avenue
Madison, WI
53704

Telephone

+16084417895

Website

http://www.schoolsofhope.org/

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