Editor’s Note: This story was originally published by Minnesota Reading Corps.
On December 3, Reading Corps was invited to participate in a panel hosted by Results for America at the University of New Hampshire Franklin Pierce School of Law in Concord, New Hampshire. The event, “A Conversation with U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar on National Service and Strengthening Our Democracy” focused on how evidence-based approaches, public policy and national service intersect to amplify progress and social change.
Reading Corps Managing Director, Sadie O’Conner was featured on a panel of experts including U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, Dan Bromberg (Academic Programs Director, University of New Hampshire Casey School of Public Policy), Jed Herrmann (Vice President, Results for America) and David Medina (COO and Co-Founder of Results for America).
“Reading Corps is a leader in national service,” explains O’Connor. “Using evidence-based methods and putting research to practice has allowed us to scale the program first statewide, then nationally.” She continued, “With 15 years of experience and a wealth of data, it’s exciting to be able to highlight the incredible impact our members make possible in communities across the country.”
Beginning in 2014, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) began prioritizing evidence of effectiveness when allocating AmeriCorps funds. As a result, increased funding was funneled into programs like Reading Corps and more students began to succeed. The shift has helped support evidence-based learning interventions for 6,000 additional students in Minnesota – proving that small changes in federal grant-making can bring about improved results across the country. To learn more about how Reading Corps and results-driven leaders are improving outcomes, read the latest policy brief by Results for America.
View video from the event online.
