Grant Details

The purpose of the federally-funded Minnesota 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21stCCLC) Grant Program is to establish Community Learning Centers that operate during non-school hours and provide students with academic enrichment opportunities along with other activities designed to complement the students' school-day program. Community Learning Centers may offer families of these students literacy and related educational development.

The Minnesota Department of Education will restrict grant awards to only those applicants that meet both criteria listed below:

• Primarily serve students who attend schools designated as Title I schoolwide programs or schools with 40% or more of the student body eligible to receive free or reduced price lunch as indicated on MDE’s Data Center page; and
• Propose to serve youth on a year-round basis, including school release days and a summer program. To meet this absolute priority, applicants must operate a minimum of three (3) days per week and offer at least 420 hours per year, including a minimum four (4) weeks summer component.

The funding provided by the Minnesota 21^st CCLC Program is intended to address each of the following goals:

• Increase participants’ opportunities to develop and apply 21^st Century skills.
• Increase school and community connectedness of participants.
• Increase the academic performance of participating students who are low performing/ failing or at high risk of failure in core academic areas.

Funds must be used solely to support the purpose and priorities detailed in this application. Services must be offered during non-school hours or periods when school is not typically in session, including before school, after school, evenings, weekends, school release days, and summer. Funds may be used to offer families of these students literacy and related educational development.