Title IV, Part B: 21st Century Community Learning Centers
Program Information
21st Community Learning Centers Cohort 18 Grant Competition
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Office of Federal Programs announces the release of a Request for Proposal (RFP) on January 13, 2025, for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers Cohort 18 Grant Competition. Cohort 18 Grant Competition Office Hour is being held January 30, 2025, at 10:30am to 12:00pm.
Authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC Programs provide federal funding to establish or expand community learning centers. These centers operate during out-of-school hours and offer three key services:
- Provide opportunities during non-school hours for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students (particularly students in high poverty areas and those who attend low-performing schools) meet state and local student performance standards in core academic subjects such as reading and math.
- Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities, that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students.
- Offer families of students served by 21st CCLCs opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
For the 2025-2028 NCDPI Cohort 18 21st CCLC Competitive Grant Program, NCDPI may award:
- At least one (1) 21st CCLC grants proposing to operate an academic year program (with or without a summer program) per each State Board of Education (SBE) region of the state pending submission of quality applications by at least two (1) eligible organizations in the SBE Region and following Level I and Level II reviews.
- At least one (1) 21st CCLC grant proposing to operate summer only programs per each State Board of Education (SBE) region of the state pending submission of quality applications by at least one (1) eligible organization in the SBE Region and following Level I and Level II reviews.
After the initial awardees are identified, NCDPI may continue to recommend one (1) additional organization per region proposing to operate academic year program (with or without a summer program) for the award based on total application score and ranking. If funding is available, NCDPI will then recommend one (1) additional organization per region proposing to operate summer only programs for the award based on total application score and ranking until funds are depleted.
This grant opportunity is open to a wide range of organizations, including public school units, non-profit organizations, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, for-profit entities, institutions of higher education, Bureau of Indian Education entities, and city/local government agencies.
For additional information, contact a regional program administrator or the Section Chief, Susan Brigman, at Susan.brigman@dpi.nc.gov
Cohort 18 Request for Proposal (RFP)
Request for Proposal (RFP) Cohort 18 Technical Assistance Webinar Day 1
Request for Proposal (RFP) Cohort 18 Technical Assistance Webinar Day 2
2024 21st Century Community Learning Center (CCLC) Annual Foundations Conference
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction's Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) 3rd Annual Program Foundation's Conference was held from Tuesday, August 6- August 7, 2024, at Next Generation Academy.
This year, NCDPIs 21st CCLC team is dedicated to building your program for success. The 21st CCLC program is designed to support students in out-of-school time programming who need additional support and tiered services. These services aim to enhance academic and enrichment pursuits, raise awareness of social-emotional needs, and foster positive parental engagement among all stakeholders.
21st CCLC Foundations Conference
Topics
August 6, 2024, Day 1- Cohort 17 Onboarding
- Cohort 17 Onboarding-General Session Part I (Recorded Webinar) Password: 8HvP2GcM
- Cohort 17 Onboarding- General Session Part II (Recorded Webinar) Password: iMME43HS
- Office of Federal Programs- Optimizing Your 21st CCLC Program Budget for Maximum Impact
- NCDPI Arts Education- NCDPI Unpacking and Reviewing Newly Revised Academic Standards for Arts Education
- UNCG-SERVE- Enhancing Data Collection for 21st CCLC Programs
- NTAC- The Roadmap to Success: Essential Project Management Skills for 21st CCLC Directors
- NCDPI- Career Technical Education CTE and the 21st CCLC
- Gala- Keynote Speaker- Renewal- Solomon McAuley
August 7, 2024, Day 2
- Nancy Leach- Hyde County Schools-Building Your Enrichment Opportunities for Success (Recorded Webinar)- Password: 2aA4Nhpb
- NTAC- Purposeful Progress: Designing Activities for Effective Learning Recovery
- UNCG-SERVE- Collecting Family Engagement Data for Continuous Improvement in Out of School Time Programs
- NCDPI Academic Standards-Science- Science and Engineering Practices (Recorded Webinar) Password: cPBcQDg4
- NCDPI Academic Standards- Math- Math Canvas Hub and Tools4NCTeachers (Recorded Webinar) Password: 7KmXbrZm
- NCDPI-Office of Learning Recovery- Elevating Student Engagement: Unleashing FREE NC Rethink Ed K-8 Content
- NCDPI-Career Technical Education- CTE Resources and Contacts - Making the Most of CTE in Your 21st CCLC
- NCDPI- Academic Standards-ELA- Up to Standards (Recorded Webinar) Password: VfNzUkG7
- NCDPI-Academic Standards- Physical Education- Unpacking and Reviewing Academic Standards Physical Education (Recorded Webinar) Password: SbWW4Hc8
- NCDPI-Academic Standards-ELD- Planning and Delivering Standards-Based ELD Instruction
- LuAnne Llewllyn-Surry County Schools- Community Action Plan for Family Engagement (Recorded Webinar)
- Bernice Roberts-Quality Education Academy- Building Your Partnership Opportunities for Success
- Wayfinder-Social Emotional Learning- SEL Reimagined
- Angie-Egerton-United Way of Pitt County- Navigating Fiscal Management: Tools and Strategies for Program Leaders (Recorded Webinar)
- Keynote Speaker- Tiffany Kesslar-The Bruman Group-21st CCLC Fiscal Administrative Requirements EDGAR (Recorded Webinar) Password: ZdTn4pgN 57:38-Start Time
- Keynote Speaker- Catherine Newsome- Building Your Programs for Success (Recorded Webinar) Password: ZdTn4pgN
- Keynote Speaker- LuAnne Llewllyn- Family and Community Engagement (Recorded Webinar)
- Vendors- All sessions- The Walking Classroom, TeachMeTv, Teacher Created Materials, Poe Center, Hello Stix, ComMotion, Age of Learning
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program is authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The purpose of the 21st CCLC program is to provide federal funds to establish or expand community learning centers that operate during out-of-school hours with three specific purposes:
- Provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students (particularly students in high poverty areas and those who attend low-performing schools) meet state and local student performance standards in core academic subjects such as reading and mathematics.
- 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; arts, 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.
- Offer families of students served by 21 st CCLCs opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
Any public or private organization wanting to provide out-of-school programs for K-12 students in North Carolina is eligible to apply for a 21st CCLC grant. Agencies and organizations eligible under the 21st CCLC program include, but are not limited to, local education agencies (LEAs), non-profit agencies, city or county government agencies, community-based organizations (CBOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), institutions of higher education (IHEs), and for-profit corporations. The 21st CCLC grant funds are solely available on a reimbursement request basis for actual allowable expenditures. Organizations are eligible to receive reimbursement grants of not less than $50,000 and up to $400,000 a year, based on the number of students served, with an opportunity for a second and third year of funding.
Purpose of Program
The 21st CCLC program is authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The program provides before and after-school, weekend, and summer school academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low-performing schools to help them meet local and state academic standards in subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science. In addition, programs may provide activities for youth development, drug and violence prevention, art, music, technology, character education, counseling, and recreation to enhance the program's academic components. The program also supports a component for family literacy and community outreach.
Request for Pre-Screened Organizations
Purpose of the External Organization Prescreen
As the State Education Agency (SEA), NCDPI must provide a list of pre-screened external organizations to 21st CCLC subgrantees to aid in carrying out program activities (Section 4203(a)(11)).
External organizations are nonprofit organizations with a record of success in running or working with before- and after-school programs and activities (or those that operate during school breaks); or, in the case of a community where there is no such organization, a nonprofit organization in the community that enters into a written agreement or partnership with an organization with a record of success to receive mentoring and guidance in running or working with before- and after-school programs and activities (or those that operate during school breaks). (Section 4201(b)(4)).
Requirements of the Prescreen Application
In order to meet the criteria for a "record of success" needed to qualify, each organization completing the prescreen must verify and attest to the following:
- Operates as a non-profit in good standing in North Carolina
- Is not currently on the suspended or debarment list for the State or Federal government
- Has a minimum of five years of successful experience operating or delivering services to out-of-school time programs in North Carolina.
Please be prepared to submit the following information in this form to allow DPI to assess the organization’s capacity, experience, and qualifications to perform and aid 21st CCLC services.
- A curriculum vitae (CV) summarizing education, five or more years of work experience in Out-of-School Time (OST) activities, and other qualifications.
- Non-Profit Evidence (501c3)
- Good standing evidence with Secretary of State (NC) & SAM.Gov
- Membership evidence of any afterschool professional association (i.e. National Afterschool Association, Afterschool Alliance, North Carolina Center for After School Programs etc.)
To be considered for inclusion on the 2025 - 2026 list of prescreened organizations, the following application must be completed by 5:00 p.m. (EST) on Tuesday, April 21, 2025. No EOPs submitted to the NCDPI past the deadline will be considered.
To complete the Qualtrics survey, click here.
The 21 st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Program is authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) of 1965 as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015. The purpose of the 21st CCLC program is to provide federal funds to establish or expand community learning centers that operate during out-of-school hours with three specific purposes:
- Provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including providing tutorial services to help students (particularly students in high poverty areas and those who attend low-performing schools) meet state and local student performance standards in core academic subjects such as reading and mathematics.
- 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; arts, 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.
- Offer families of students served by 21 st CCLCs opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
Any public or private organization wanting to provide out-of-school programs for K-12 students in North Carolina is eligible to apply for a 21st CCLC grant. Agencies and organizations eligible under the 21st CCLC program include, but are not limited to, local education agencies (LEAs), non-profit agencies, city or county government agencies, community-based organizations (CBOs), faith-based organizations (FBOs), institutions of higher education (IHEs), and for-profit corporations. The 21 st CCLC grant funds are solely available on a reimbursement request basis for actual allowable expenditures. Organizations are eligible to receive reimbursement grants of not less than $50,000 and up to $400,000 a year, based on the number of students served, with an opportunity for a second and third year of funding.
Purpose of Program
The 21st CCLC program is authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). The program provides before and after-school, weekend, and summer school academic enrichment opportunities for children attending low-performing schools to help them meet local and state academic standards in subjects such as reading, mathematics, and science. In addition, programs may provide activities for youth development, drug and violence prevention, art, music, technology, character education, counseling, and recreation to enhance the program's academic components. The program also supports a component for family literacy and community outreach.
21st CCLC under the ESSA
Section 4204(a) of the ESSA defines Expanded Learning Program (ELP) activities as enrichment and engaging academic activities that are included as part of a program that provides students at least 300 additional program hours before, during, or after the traditional school day and supplements, but does not supplant regular school day requirements. States receiving 21st CCLC funds may, but are not required, to support ELP activities. At this time, the North Carolina 21st CCLC program does not include ELP activities as defined under the ESSA in the competitive grant program.
Section 4204(j) of the ESSA notes that a state may, but is not required, to renew a subgrant provided under this part to an eligible entity, based on the eligible entity’s performance during the preceding subgrant period. While North Carolina does consider subgrant performance during the preceding year as a part of the Continuation award during the three-year award period, North Carolina does not currently offer renewability as allowed under the ESSA.