Announced by U.S. Congressman John Sarbanes on Friday, the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) has awarded  more than $400,000 in AmeriCorps grants to two community service organizations in Maryland: Maryland Conservation Corps and Reading Partners Maryland.

The Maryland Conservation Corps, an award-winning AmeriCorps program that engages young adults in extensive natural resource management and park conservation projects, has been awarded $310,298 to remove invasive species, restore wildlife habitat, plant native species, build or restore trails, and conduct other activities to improve at-risk ecosystems in seven state parks across Maryland.

Reading Partners Maryland, a nonprofit literacy organization that recruits and trains community volunteers to provide one-on-one reading tutoring to students in under-resourced schools, has been awarded $126,350 to provide services to children at six Title I elementary schools in Baltimore.

Congressman Sarbanes commented on the federal funding directed at environmental preservation and elementary student reading improvement:

“Working together to serve our communities is embedded in the character of the American people. This AmeriCorps funding will help Marylanders get involved in improving the world around them, while building important relationships with their friends and neighbors.”

Visit Congressman Sarbanes’ website for more information on AmeriCorps.