The Dallas County Children’s Policy Council was awarded an Evidence2Success grant from the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Alabama Department of Youth Services Tuesday during a ceremony at HOPE Academy.

The $300,000 grant was awarded to three locations across the United States.

“It’s really a substantial grant, and it has the potential to really transform some areas in our schools and in the community,” said Dallas County District Judge and chairman of DCCPC Bob Armstrong. “I’m really excited about this, and it’s a big deal that we got chosen.”

Evidence2Success is a program that combines the efforts of community leaders as they strive to better the lives of children.

To kick things off, a group will be formed to analyze data and pinpoint areas that need to be worked on within the Dallas County and Selma City School Systems.

“There will be a community team that we will pull together, a diverse group of people in the community to come together,” Armstrong said.

“Once the data is gotten from the schools, and the kids will actually fill out surveys, when it’s compiled, that committee of community people will review the data and then identify five, six areas that are our greatest needs that we need to address, and then the Casey Foundation will provide evidence based programs that will address those problems.”

The Casey Foundation sought out the Alabama Department of Youth Services, whose executive director, Steven Lafreniere, then contacted Armstrong about combining forces for the grant.

“Steve and I have a great relationship. We had him over when we opened HOPE Academy,” Armstrong said. “We had him come over and gave him a tour and showed him what the funding they gave us has been able to accomplish here.”

The committee is supposed to identify programs in the spring that they want to implement the following fall.

“We’re hoping by next fall, we’ll have a lot of programs in place,” Armstrong said.

Armstrong said examples of the types of programs that might be needed are reading remediation, math remediation and behavioral programs in the school.

Suzanne Barnard, director of the Casey Foundation, said she looks forward to working with Selma.

“I’m excited because Selma has all the ingredients that we need and all we got to do is put it all together,” Barnard said. “Everything’s in place, and we’re just really excited to see it unfold. I couldn’t be more excited to be here.”

Once the programs are defined and put into action, the first year will be mostly the Casey Foundation working in the schools.

Then community leaders will be coached and trained to continue the work.

“We will be forming our team and there will probably be 12 to 20 people. It’s people that have a proven record in the community that are involved with children and care. They don’t have to have positions to be a community person that is always trying to help kids,” Armstrong said.

“The primary partners are my court and the schools, so a lot of this will happen through the schools.”

Those wanting to be involved with the program or ask questions pertaining to the program are asked to contact Selma’s coordinator, Astrid Craig, at 324-3004.