Burns: Community Leaning Center grant opportunity opens
Rep. Frank Burns May 1, 2017 | 2:03 PM
EBENSBURG, May 1 – A competitive grant program that provides federal funds to establish community learning centers that provide academic, artistic and cultural enrichment opportunities for students and their families is now accepting applications, according to state Rep. Frank Burns.
Burns, D-Cambria, said opportunities offered through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant must occur during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session, to help students attending high-poverty and low-performing schools to meet state and local standards in core academic subjects.
Burns also said the centers must also offer students a broad array of activities that can complement their regular academic programs, to offer literacy and other educational services to their families.
“I encourage all education-related entities in the 72nd Legislative District to look into this program and, if interested, to apply,” Burns said.
The 21st CCLC Grant is administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. In addition to academics, grantees may also use the funds to carry out a broad array of activities that advance student academic achievement and support student success, including before- and after-school, summer, Saturdays and holiday programming. A minimum of 50 percent of daily programming must directly target reading, math and science enrichment, with the balance of activities occurring on a rotational basis.
More information can be obtained by contacting Burns’ office at (814) 472-8021, or visiting the Department of Education website at www.education.pa.gov, clicking “K-12” at the top of the page, then clicking the first offering “21st Century Community Learning Centers.”