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Be Sure That All Youth In Your Community Have High Quality Out
of School Programs
New federal legislation gives states control of 21st Century
Community Learning Center Program funds that will provide
as much as $12.5 billion through 2007
for out of school programs. Information below can help your community ensure
that the funds are spent to support youth in your community in quality out
of school programs.
 Many
youth, schools and nonprofits in your community have benefited from the
federal investment of more than $2.5 billion since 1995 in out of school
time programs through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Initiative
(21st CCLC). In addition, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation has made
a multi-year commitment of over $100 million to support the quality and
sustainability of after school programs. In late December 2001, Congress
re-authorized this program with some significant changes that provide
an opportunity for your community to help ensure that your state designs,
funds and implements this program in the best way possible.
New federal legislation shifts administration of the 21st CCLC program
from the federal to state governments. Your state education
agency will be the lead agency for administering, monitoring, evaluating
and providing training and technical assistance. It will establish a competitive
grant process for individual schools, local agencies (education and/or government),
and/or community-based organizations to apply for funds to establish or expand
out of school learning opportunities. Federal funds will be distributed to
the states by a funding formula similar to that of Title I and must be used
to supplement,
not supplant, state, Federal, and local resources expended to provide similar
programs.
Each state must submit a plan to the Secretary of Education that describes
how it will use the funds including procedures and criteria for dispersing
funds
to eligible groups. The state plan also must include an evaluation component
and a sustainability component.
How You Can Help
- Contact your state education
agency to see how representatives from your community can be
involved in developing and implementing the state plan. Groups or
people (out of school providers, advocates, youth, parents) have
valuable experience and information about out of school programs
that can help your state develop an effective plan. Attached is a
list of people to contact in each state's education agency. These
people attended a meeting in November 2001 to learn about the changes
to the 21st CCLC initiative. In some communities, it may be best
if you make the first call; a call from a community foundation may
get more attention. In other communities, you may want pass this
information along to key advocates, providers, youth or parents so
that they can call.
- Encourage your state to design policies and procedures that
promote a partnership among all groups, public and private-schools,
providers, parents, and youth. Policies and funds should support integrated
work toward broad youth development goals (academic, social, emotional,
health, recreational) and not be used just to extend the school day
or provide recreational activities. While both of these things may
be desirable, they should be seen as part of the greater whole needed
to help youth thrive in and out of school.
- Encourage your state to maintain or increase its own funding
for out of school supports for youth. There is concern that some states
may use the 21st CCLC funds to free up existing state funds spent on
out of school programs. It is very important that states show Congress
that out of school issues are a priority if we are to keep and increase
federal funding. State investments can help leverage more federal dollars.
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