Riverbend Youth Coalition — After-School STEM Mentorship Program (120,000 dollars, one year) PART 1 - EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Riverbend Youth Coalition requests 120,000 dollars to launch a one-year after-school STEM mentorship program for 200 rural students in grades 6 to 8. Students in our service area have limited access to STEM enrichment, engineering role models, and career-connected learning outside the school day. The program pairs students with trained engineering mentors, delivers hands-on projects, and provides math support. It advances the Foundation priorities in rural education equity and workforce readiness. By year end, Riverbend expects at least 70 percent of regular attendees to improve math benchmark scores and at least 75 percent to report increased interest in STEM. PART 2 - STATEMENT OF NEED Rural students in our region trail state averages in math proficiency and have few visible pathways into technical careers. INSERT LOCAL DATA: district math proficiency rate and percent of students who are economically disadvantaged. Long travel distances, limited broadband, and few local employers reduce exposure to engineering and skilled-trade careers. This maps directly to the Foundation focus on rural education equity and workforce readiness. National data show that early, sustained STEM mentorship improves persistence in math and increases the likelihood that students pursue technical coursework. INSERT LOCAL DATA: number of students served by current after-school options. Without intervention, the gap between rural students and their peers widens through middle school, when career interests begin to form. PART 3 - PROJECT NARRATIVE Goal: increase math proficiency and STEM career interest for 200 rural middle schoolers. Objectives: 1. Enroll and retain 200 students across three middle schools, with 80 percent weekly attendance. 2. Pair every student with a trained engineering mentor at a ratio no greater than 1 to 8. 3. Deliver 24 hands-on STEM project sessions over the school year. 4. Provide targeted math support tied to each student gap. Activities: recruit and train mentors, run weekly sessions, supply project kits, coordinate transportation, and host two family STEM showcase events. PART 4 - OUTCOMES AND EVALUATION Inputs: funding, mentors, curriculum, project kits. Activities: mentorship sessions, math support, showcases. Outputs: 200 students served, 24 sessions, 10 mentors trained. Outcomes: improved math scores and increased STEM interest. Indicators: (1) percent of students improving math benchmark scores, tracked through pre and post assessments; (2) STEM interest, tracked through a validated student survey at intake and year end; (3) weekly attendance, tracked through session sign-in records. PART 5 - BUDGET JUSTIFICATION Category | Amount | Justification Program Director, 0.5 FTE | 35,000 | Manages program, mentors, and reporting. Mentor stipends, 10 mentors | 25,000 | Stipends for trained engineering mentors across the year. STEM project kits and materials | 18,000 | Hands-on materials for 24 sessions and 200 students. Transportation | 12,000 | Late buses and travel for rural students. Math support tutoring | 14,000 | Part-time tutors for targeted math help. Evaluation | 6,000 | Assessments, survey tools, and analysis. Indirect, 10 percent | 10,000 | Standard administrative overhead. Total | 120,000 | Reviewer flag: back the 0.5 FTE director rate with a salary basis and attach a salary schedule. PART 6 - SUSTAINABILITY After the grant year, Riverbend will sustain the program through local employer sponsorships, an expanded volunteer mentor base, and integration with district after-school funding. Year one results and the evaluation report will support renewal requests and corporate partnerships. PART 7 - REVIEWER SCORING CHECKLIST 1. Need is documented with data and local markers. Pass 2. Project aligns directly to funder priorities. Pass 3. Objectives are specific and measurable. Pass 4. Activities clearly deliver each objective. Pass 5. Logic model connects inputs to outcomes. Pass 6. Indicators are measurable with a tracking method. Pass 7. Budget totals the amount requested. Pass 8. Budget justification supports each line. Needs Work, pending salary basis 9. Sustainability plan is credible. Pass 10. Narrative uses active voice and avoids filler. Pass