Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLCs) are federally funded, high-quality afterschool and summer programs. Afterschool and summer programs provide students with safe, engaging places to try new activities, develop new skills, have fun and learn. Delaware 21st CCLCs are internally designed to complement students’ regular academic programs, promote academic support, and engage school communities.

Currently, Delaware 21st CCLCs are offered in over 30 elementary, middle, and high schools, serving approximately 3,000 students a year.

21st CCLC Goals

• Increase school attendance and increase academic achievement of participating students in one or more academic areas
• Increase school connectedness of participants, including families, caregivers, and school teachers and staff
• Increase the capacity of participants to become productive adults

Program Information

Districts, charters, community-based and faith-based organizations receive funding to develop 21^st CCLCs through a competitive process that prioritizes high-poverty areas. All 21st CCLCs must show a partnership between their school(s) and at least one community-based or faith-based organization. 21st CCLC programs provide a broad array of opportunities for both students and their families, including:

• Academic Supports: hands-on science, technology, engineering, and math, homework help, literacy activities, SAT preparation, tutoring, and more;
• Career Exploration and College Access: college application support, college visits, internships, job shadowing, and more
• Fine Arts: dance, music, theatre, visual arts, and more;
• Health Promotion: counseling and mental health programs, healthy cooking, nutrition education, substance abuse prevention, and more;
• Physical Activity: baseball, basketball, martial arts, soccer, swimming, yoga, and more;
• Youth Development: community service, good decision-making, leadership development, mediation skills, social and emotional learning, violence prevention, and more; and
• Family Engagement: adult education, family events, family literacy, and more

A commitment to evaluation at both the state and local levels is central to the Delaware’s 21st Century Community Learning Center initiative. Please see the full evaluation report for more information.

All subgrantees are monitored to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements, to ensure that programs are of high quality, and to identify technical assistance needs. Delaware has a multi-faceted process for measuring program effectiveness that includes:

• • Site Observations;
  • DE 21st CCLC Self-Assessment Tool;
  • On-Site Compliance Monitoring Visits;
  • DE 21st CCLC Continuation Plan 2022-2023, Federal Funds Budget Form; and
  • Annual Evaluations with 21APR information.