The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.

21st Century Community Learning Center Resources

The 2022-2023 Nita M. Lowey Arkansas 21st CCLC Grant Application will be open for submission from November 14, 2022, through March 1, 2023. While the objective of this year’s grant has not changed, many elements of the grant application have changed.

1. An Intent to Apply must be completed by January 30, 2023, to be eligible.
2. All applicants are required to provide documentation of public notice given to the community regarding the targeted site(s) this grant will serve.
3. All sections of the grant must be completed to achieve funding eligibility.
4. Grants must be submitted via the online Submittable platform to be considered for eligibility.
   

Applicants will need to reference and, in some cases, fill out and upload files from the Resources Section below. We ask that you please fully review the Arkansas 21st CCLC Grant Guidance document before applying for the 21st CCLC grant. For additional technical assistance with the grant guidance, DESE 21st CCLC Program Office will provide virtual meeting(s) to allow potential applicants the opportunity to fully understand the guidance and the expectations of 21st CCLC programs in Arkansas.

Virtual Guidance and Support Meeting Dates and Resources
Link to Zoom Meetings:  https://zoom.us/j/5639386474
Slides for Zoom Meetings
Wednesday, January 11, 2023 (1:00pm – 3:00pm)
Wednesday, February 1, 2023 (1:00pm – 3:00pm)
Wednesday, February 15, 2023 (1:00pm – 3:00pm)

(*For additional assistance, potential applicants are invited to call the office for support outside of scheduled meeting times.)

Resources and Forms Required for Application Completion:

• Arkansas 21st CCLC Grant Guidance
• Title IV, Part B, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA)
• 21st CCLC Non-Regulatory Guidance
• Budget Justification Narrative
• Evidence that program will Supplement and not Supplant
• Program Assurances
• Program’s 21st CCLC Handbook (includes program policies and procedures)
• Program Master Schedule
• Private School Consultation (If applicable)

Applicants who achieve an overall grant rating of “Meets Standard” (click here for the rubric) will move to the priority round for review. Priority percentage points (2% for each criteria met) will be given for the following areas below if the information is provided within the application.

1. Applicant is writing for a site that has never been awarded a 21st CCLC grant.
2. Applicant is writing for a site where there is no other 21st CCLC program within a 30-mile radius.
3. Applicant describes how evidence-based practices will be used for increasing student attendance and engagement, reducing rates of chronic absenteeism, and enhancing connections between students in middle grades and high school and their school, family, and program partners.
4. Applicant is writing for a Comprehensive or Targeted Support School site.
5. Applicant is a previously awarded applicant but did not meet monthly and yearly required fiscal, programmatic, and program data requirements on time and in an accurate manner (A negative 2 percentage points will be given to the applicant that meets this criteria).
   

All applicants must provide documentation of a Public Notice. Previously awarded applicants must complete Section 13 accurately to continue in the review process. These two items will not receive a score, but they will be documented as MET or NOT MET within the review process. Due to these items being required, items marked NOT MET will not continue in the review process.

Grant Application Link: https://arkansasdepartmentofeducation.submittable.com/submit

Previous Awarded Applications:  Awarded Grants

• 2022-2023 21st CCLC List of Grantees (PDF)
• 2022-2023 Arkansas 21st CCLC Grant Guidance (Revised 06-29-22) (PDF)
•  Prescreened External Organizations
  •  Process to Become a Prescreened External Organization
  •  External Organization Application
•  Arkansas 21st Century Community Learning Centers Statewide Evaluation Reports
  •  2020-2021 Statewide Evaluation Report (PDF)
  •  2019-2020 Statewide Evaluation Report (PDF)
  •  2018-2019 Statewide Evaluation Report (PDF)
  •  2017-2018 Statewide Evaluation Report (PDF)
  •  2016-2017 Statewide Evaluation Report (PDF)
•  Additional Resources
  •  ADE DESE FY 2022-2023 21st Century Preliminary Allocations (XLXS)

(Webpage updated on January 23, 2023)

For more information, please contact: