The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program provides grants to schools, community-based, faith-based, and/or non-profit organizations as partners for the establishment of community learning centers to keep children safe while providing academic and enrichment activities during after-school hours.
The overarching goal of the state-administered federal program is to establish or expand community learning centers during non-school hours to provide students with academic and enrichment opportunities along with supportive services necessary to help them achieve academically and develop socially, emotionally, physically and behaviorally.
The grants are intended for schools eligible for Title I Schoolwide Program funds, where at least 40 percent of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.
All grantees are required to provide: a) Academic Assistance component, and b) an Educational Enrichment component. In addition, applicants must address the needs of family members of students participating 21CCLC through a c) Family Engagement component.
Each eligible organization that receives an award may use the funds to carry out a broad array of before- and after-school activities (or activities during other times when school is not in session) that advance student achievement:
- Remedial education activities and academic enrichment learning programs, including those which provide additional assistance to students to allow the students to improve their academic achievement;
- Literacy Activities;
- Mathematics and Science education (STEM) and Computer Science activities;
- Programs that promote parental involvement and family literacy (Family Engagement);
- Arts and Music education activities;
- Entrepreneurial education programs; Employment preparation or training;
- Tutoring services, including those provided by senior citizen volunteers, and mentoring programs to reduce achievement gaps for at-risk children;
- Volunteer and community service opportunities;
- Programs that provide after-school activities for limited English proficient (LEP) or ESL (English as a second Language) students and that emphasize language skills and academic achievement;
- Recreational activities; Physical Fitness; and Healthy Lifestyle education
- Technology education programs that connect with careers;
- Expanded library service hours;
- Programs that provide assistance to students who have been chronically absent, suspended, or expelled to allow them to improve their academic achievement;
- Drug and violence prevention programs;
- Counseling programs;
- Supervised field trips, enrichment programs and events;
- Character and Behavior education programs.
- Activities that promote college and/or career readiness
Previous awardees can be viewed at https://educate.iowa.gov/pk-12/essa/guidance-allocations/learning-center-resources#grant-program-and-awards
An absolute priority of the program is that the target population will be students from schools designated as Title I schoolwide eligible (a school in which not less than 40 percent of the children are from low-income families and receiving free and reduced lunch to be eligible for school-wide” status).
In addition, applicant agencies that serve students in schools designated as schools in need of improvement (SINA) under Title I and/or are doing so jointly as a collaboration between the school building(s) receiving Title I funds and other community-based organizations or public or private organizations will receive competitive priority in this application process