21st Century Community Learning Centers

Competitive Grant Opportunities

  4.30.20 In February, DEED released its FY21 Alaska 21^st CCLC Request for Applications (RFA) for competitive grants that would begin providing out-of-school time programming in the fall of the 20-21 school year.  Awards are made for five years, contingent upon federal congressional funding and adequate progress meeting grant goals. We hope to award $2,700,000 in federal funding.

 On March 27, to allow people to focus on supporting their community during the COVID-19 epidemic, we changed the due date of the 21^st CCLC RFA to Friday, May 15.  At that time, we revised the RFA to include updated logistical information, recorded webinar links, and two slightly revised forms.

There will be no further postponements. The RFA is due May 15, 2020 at 1:00 pm.

RFA Technical Assistance Webinar Captioned Recordings

In late February, DEED offered two optional online technical assistance webinars, one aimed at new applicants and the other for all applicants.  Both webinars were recorded and captioned and are now available to all applicants:

Technical Assistance Webinar Recording #1 for New Applicants
Recorded Wednesday, February 26, 2020
Topics: Target audience for funds, academic focus, best practices, viable staffing, necessary community partnerships, and overview capacity to deliver programming

Technical Assistance Webinar Recording #2 for All Applicants 
Recorded Thursday, February 27, 2020
Topics: Application requirements, tips, and changes to this application.

Support Documents for Applicants

• 21^st CCLC DEED School Data Sheet (Excel)
• Alaska 21st CCLC Evaluation Technical Assistance (MS Word)
• Meeting Alaska’s Education Challenge Together
• Alaska 21st CCLC Guidelines for Equitable Services for Private Schools (MS Word)
• Sample Affirmation of Consultation and Agreement with Private School Officials (MS Word)

Check back soon for updates!

External Organization Partner Pool

In order to increase the capacity of Alaska’s communities to offer high-quality 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) applications and programs, the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) requires the Alaska Department of Education & Early Development (DEED) to make available a list of potential Alaska non-profit “external organizations” that 21st CCLC applicants may be interested in partnering with when building a 21st CCLC out-of-school-time program. Community partnerships within 21st CCLC programs are strongly encouraged as they have the potential to increase program quality, variety, and sustainability. The term "partnerships" in this instance is used loosely and may involve for-pay contracted services, in-kind services, etc.

Alaska Nonprofit Organization Profile Form (#05-18-032)

Alaska 21st CCLC External Organization Partner Pool

Grantee Documents and Links

Current State Grantees

Alaska 21st CCLC Fact Sheet FY19 (pdf)

Alaska 21st CCLC Statewide Evaluation Report FY19 (pdf)

DEED to request waiver to 21^st CCLC restrictions;
public comment period closes October 7

Due to the extraordinary circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Department of Education is offering states flexibility in their federally-funded programs in order to best meet the needs of students, families, and educators during this national emergency.

Currently, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, Section 4201(b)(1)(A) restricts activities provided by programs funded under the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers program (21st CCLC) to activities provided only “during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session (such as before and after school or during summer recess).” The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development plans to apply for a waiver to the above restriction, for the 20-21 school year only, which will advance student academic achievement by authorizing academic enrichment activities and other allowable 21st CCLC activities to occur during times when school is in session. This will include times when students are attending school remotely, virtually, and/or through independent completion of classwork instead of in person due to disruptions caused by COVID-19.  All other requirements of a 21^st CCLC program will continue to apply, and programs will, of course, be allowed to continue to additionally or exclusively provide 21^st CCLC programming during hours when school is not in session.

Through this announcement, the Alaska Department of Education and Early is providing the public, school districts, and 21^st CCLC grantees in Alaska with notice and an opportunity to comment on the plan to pursue the waiver described above. Comments are due via email to courtney.preziosi@alaska.gov by 5:00 PM on Wednesday, October 7, 2020.

Resources for Afterschool