21st Century Community Learning Centers

ARIZONA’S TITLE IV, PART B (21ST CCLC)

The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative provides the only federally funded source dedicated exclusively to out-of-school-time programs.

PURPOSE

Arizona’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) builds and sustains
comprehensive out-of-school-time programs that provide high-quality academic enrichment
opportunities for students attending high-poverty, low-performing schools. These programs
meaningfully engage adult family members in helping their children succeed academically. All
funded programs align with State and school goals and specifically assist targeted students in
their school day learning objectives. 21st CCLC programs support student participants in
meeting the Arizona’s rigorous academic standards.

Authorized under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by Every
Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), Title IV, Part B administered by the Arizona Department of
Education; the specific purposes of the law are to:

1. Provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend low-performing schools, to meet the challenging State academic standards;
2. Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities, such as youth development activities, service learning, nutrition and health education, drug and violence prevention programs, counseling programs, art, music, physical fitness and wellness programs, technology education programs, financial literacy programs, environmental literacy programs, mathematics, science, career and technical programs, internship or apprenticeship programs, and other ties to an in-demand industry sector or occupation for high school students that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students;
3. Offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related education development.
4. Grants funded by the 21st CCLC program may supplement, NOT supplant, existing out of school funding or programs.

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• The out-of-school-time 21st CCLC program must complement the regular, academic school day.
• After-school programs must be implemented according to the original, awarded grant proposal.
• After-school program staff should work in close collaboration with the regular school-day staff and community partners.
• Partnerships and collaborations are required to provide services outlined in the grant and ensure long-term commitments of resources for sustainability.
• Program activities are required to be based on scientifically based practices that provide evidence that the program activity will help students meet achievement standards.
• All academic enrichment activities are to be aligned to Arizona State Standards, using cross-curricular connections to meet multiple performance objectives.
• Services to the family members of participating students may include family literacy activities and other educational activities in support of students’ academic success.