June 5, 2019
Harrisburg, PA – The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) today announced $22 million in 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (21^st CCLC) grants have been awarded to a variety of educational institutions, faith-based partners and community partners. The grants are used to provide opportunities to low-income areas struggling to aid students in their academic achievements.

“Twenty-first Century Learning Center grants provide critical investments for communities to expand educational opportunities for students and families,” Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera said. “This year’s recipients were selected with an emphasis on improving educational equity and expanding the geographic reach of Pennsylvania’s programs. As a result, more students across the state will have access to wellness, literacy, and career and technical education programs, among others.”

PDE established the following state priorities for 21st CCLC funding for 2019-2024:

• STEM/STEAM education;
• Workforce, career readiness, and college readiness;
• Planning for transitional vocational/technical services;
• High school credit recovery;
• Underserved geographic locations; and
• Schools designated for CSI and/or ATSI designated schools

In response to the 2019-24 request for applications, PDE received 99 grant applications requesting more than $30 million dollars. There were eight review teams organized by the 21st CCLC geographic regions which took into consideration the state priorities when evaluating the applications.

The 21^st CCLC program is authorized under Title IV, Part B of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, as amended by the Every Student Succeeds Act. The federal funds are intended to provide students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools with additional services to meet state and local standards. Grants may be used to establish and expand community learning centers, provide academic enrichment, youth development services, and literacy programs.

As part of Governor Wolf’s initiative, the 21^st CCLC improves access to high-quality education and is a hallmark of the Schools That Teach initiative.

The grantees that will receive funding as part of the 2019-2024 cohort are listed below.