RUNNING HEAD: EVIDENCE BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 1

Evidence Based Intervention and Grant Proposal

Chaquana Izzard
University of South Carolina

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 2

Abstract
This paper will be a representation of a grant proposal for the
community of Irmo, South Carolina and the low income people of the
community. Being poor in a thriving community like Irmo can be intimidating.
The proposed intervention is to help low income residents go back to school.
The hope is that by the residents going back to school they will be able to
get a better job. The intervention plan will be explained in depth as well as
an attachment of the budget.

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 3

Irmo, South Carolina legally became a town December 24, 1890.

German/Swiss immigrants were the first westerners to settle the area by the
Broad and Saluda Rivers and into the Newberry county line. Dutch Fork was
discovered in the mid-1700s. This area was constructed with small farms.
The origin of the name Irmo came from the influence of the railroads. The
railroads were a big part of the growth of the town. The name Irmo came
from the first two letters of the last names of railroad company men, C.J.
Iredell and H.C. Mosely. The Lake Murray Dam and the construction of I-26
and I-20 are also big staples in the history of the town of Irmo. Irmo is also
home of one of the top 10 Food Festivals in the U.S.A. (Irmo, South
Carolina, n.d.).
Irmo is an up and coming community with many new businesses
coming into the area. The population of Irmo, South Carolina is 11,893
people (Population Estimates, n.d.). The new businesses will bring in more
revenue for the community. The median income for the community of Irmo is
$57, 426. The income per capita is $27,280. The median male earnings are
$34,281 while the median female earnings are $30,207. The unemployment
rate is 5.9% while the poverty level is 15.6% (Irmo, SC Employment, n.d.).
With new businesses come new job opportunities. There was recently a new
hospital opened in the community. This means that there are jobs available
for qualifying residents of the community. In an interview with a member
from the community, F. Gillings stated being poor is not a concern for most in
the

community

where

wealth

is

evident

in

some

parts

(personal

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 4

communication, February 2016). This is a part of the underlying issue in the

community of Irmo. Because the majority is wealthy there arent any
concerns to help those who are not.
The issue of poverty is a big issue when the gap is big like in the
community of Irmo. The intervention plan being proposed is to help low
income

residents of

the community go back

to school.

With new

opportunities arising the low income residents need a fair chance at

succeeding in life also. They cannot do that if they are not properly
educated. Giving the residents the opportunity to go back to school with help
will help the low income residents get a fair chance at succeeding. The plan
is to provide some assistance with tuition, help pay for books and or help
with child care if needed. Because funding will be limited there will be
opportunities provided for four people as a trial run. There will be an
application process and there will also be qualifications that have to be
passed in order to receive the help. The qualifications include verified
enrollment in school with a class schedule and verified yearly income. The
recipient must also have two letters of recommendation. There will also be a
deadline for the application process which will be one month before classes
start. The help being given will be split between the two semesters of the
school year. The total each participant can receive is $10,000. $8,000 of the
money will go toward school and books and if needed the other $2,000 will
go towards childcare. If childcare is not needed the participant can use the
other $2,000 to help with other expenses that occur while in school. For

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 5

some students there will be an overage that may also help with the extra
expenses that come with attending school.
Activities that will promote this project will include getting the local
Department of Social Services involved. This way they can put the word out
about the project. There can be a distribution of flyers to the churches in the
community. This way if they have members that qualify then they can give
them the information. Another resource could be to just post flyers in the low
income communities. All strategies of notifying residents of this community
need to be stressed.
According to Ruesink (2014) parents with higher levels of education
tend to raise children who go onto higher levels of education. This could be
life changing in the lives of low income families. If parents go back to school
and they are able to get a better job it encourages and sends a positive
message to the kids. This alone could cut the poverty level and gap in
communities like Irmo. In contrast to most traditional four-year institutions,
career and technical schools specialize in putting students on a more defined
path to succeeding in the job market. And they offer the chance to earn
quick degrees or diplomas and complete fast certification programs. In fact,
many of the highest-paying entry-level jobs can be attained with only two
years or less of focused career education (unknown, 2016). This validates
that going back to school to get a two year degree or a certificate will help
the residents of this community that are low income receive a better job.

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 6

According to the Midlands Tech website: In central South Carolina there are a
projected 20,000 job openings over the next five years, but the state lacks
people with the education and training needed to fill many of those positions.
The residents that qualify for this program can attend Midlands tech and go
through the quick jobs program. This will ensure that they receive all of the
training that they need.
To evaluate the program I plan to give the candidates a survey. The
survey will include what degree or certificate they decided to pursue, if they
finished the course, how they money helped them out, and if they had any
luck finding a better job. This survey will be given six months after they have
graduated to give them time to find a job.
I will run the program strictly online and through the mail. When
applicants come in I will have two other workers that will help to assist with
reviewing applications. I will also have the two workers help to decide which
four applicants will receive the grants. My home will be the office location so
I will not have to rent a building or pay for electric. I will also use my own
internet for the program, as well as my own computer and printer. I will use
some of the money from the grant to buy miscellaneous supplies needed. I
will use a personal connection of an in-kind donation from an IT friend to help
build my website. The majority of my expenses will come from actually
giving the money to the four applicant winners. The application process will

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 7

start in May and the winners will be notified before classes start in August
which will when the program will end.
This will be a great program for the low income families of Irmo who
qualify and win the grants. It will help them gain pride in themselves and
also help the family gain more respect for the client. Task centered practice
would work well with this program. Task centered practice is where the client
is on a short term treatment with specific and measurable goals (Simmons
staff, 2014). The clients goal would be to finish up a program so that they
could get a better job. Once the better job is received the client will have a
better life.

Budget
President of program
Part time for 4 months
Workers

= $5,000

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 8

Part time for 4 months

($2,500 x 2)

= $5,000

Grants for applicants

($10,000 x 4)

= $40,000

Miscellaneous supplies
=$2,000
Total = $52,000

References
27 Highest-Paying Jobs That You Can Train for in 2 Years or Less. (2016, March
22). Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://www.tradeschools.net/articles/highest-paying-jobs-without-degree.asp
IRMO, SOUTH CAROLINA. (n.d.). Retrieved February 22, 2016, from
http://www.irmoinfo.com/history.html

EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTION AND GRANT PROPOSAL 9

Irmo, SC Employment. (n.d.). Retrieved February 27, 2016, from

http://www.areavibes.com/irmo-sc/employment/
Population estimates, July 1, 2015, (V2015). (n.d.). Retrieved February 25,
2016, from http://www.census.gov/quickfacts/table/PST045215/4535890,00
Midlands Technical College. (n.d.). Retrieved April 03, 2016, from
http://www.midlandstech.edu/learn/training/quickjobs
Ruesink, M. (2014, June 26). Parents Going Back to School: Set the Stage for
Your Kids. Retrieved April 01, 2016, from http://www.rasmussen.edu/studentlife/blogs/college-life/parents-going-back-to-school-set-stage-for-kids/
Simmons Staff. (2014, May 06). Theories Used in Social Work Practice &
Practice Models. Retrieved April 04, 2016, from
https://socialwork.simmons.edu/theories-used-social-work-practice/