"The funds recently provided by the U.S. Department of Education will support programs that provide continuing education and training to both adults and youth," Senators Snowe and Collins said in a joint statement.
The Maine Alliance for the Arts Education will receive $99,200 for an ‘Arts Every Day' Project that will provide resources to rural, underserved school districts to help strengthen educational excellence in all of the arts for Maine students.
ALLIES Inc. will receive a grant of $269,166 for a project that will target drop out youth and youth in transition from high school to the community (ages 18-26) for providing job placement and support services. The project will serve a total of 120 individuals per year, all of whom will be individuals with sever disabilities. ALLIES Inc. will also receive a grant of $299,968 for a program that will create and expand job and career opportunities for individuals with disabilities in the competitive labor market. This is accomplished by involving private industry partners to help identify competitive job and career opportunities and the skills needed to perform these jobs. The program also provides rehabilitation services, job readiness, and job training as appropriate, and employment and job advancement opportunities.
The Maine Division for the Blind and Visually Impaired will receive a grant of $19,413 for programs that address the professional development needs of its workforce, which will affect the success of people in Maine who are blind and visually impaired who seek vocational rehabilitation services.
The Division of Vocational Rehabilitation will receive a grant of $55,531. The funding will be used to support projects for training state vocational rehabilitation unit personnel in program areas essential to the effective management of the unit's program of vocational rehabilitation services or in skill areas that will enable staff personnel to improve their ability to provide these services that will lead to employment outcomes for individuals with disabilities.
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