Delco lawmakers announce $1.8 million in education grants for local community learning centers
Rep. Carol Kazeem April 1, 2024
CHESTER, April 1 – State Reps. Carol Kazeem and Leanne Krueger, both D-Delaware, today announced that $1.8 million in state grant funding is headed to two community learning centers in their legislative districts that provide academic, artistic, and cultural enrichment opportunities for students and their families.
According to the lawmakers, a total of $1,187,687 was awarded to Chester-Upland School District for three of its programs and $600,000 was awarded to Chester Community Charter School under the state’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant program, a competitive program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
“Enrichment activities outside of the classroom are critical for all student achievement,” Krueger said. “It is equally important for the state to see and act when support is needed in school districts that may not have the means to invest all local funds. The wraparound programs that Chester-Upland School District and Chester Community Charter School provide to their students and the community at large are excellent, thanks in part to state grant funding programs like this. Congratulations to both schools for making these programs a priority. I am delighted to support them.”
“I am so proud of Chester-Upland School District and Chester Community Charter School for their drive to support a program that will complement learning in the classroom,” Kazeem said. “This grant is an investment in our students and a promise that the quality of their future is a priority. The CCLC funding will provide essential enrichment activities, counseling, tutoring, internships, and other programs will help students reach their greatest potential.”
Centers that receive 21st CCLC funding will use it to expand activities that:
- Provide opportunities for academic enrichment, including tutorial services to help students, particularly students who attend low-performing schools, to meet state academic standards.
- Offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and activities, such as youth development activities, tutoring, 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 opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children’s education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
These opportunities must occur during non-school hours or periods when school is not in session to help students attending high-poverty and low-performing schools to meet state and local standards in core academic subjects.
More than $27 million in 21st CCLC funding was awarded by PDE to 61 education organizations in 18 counties across the state. More information on the program and list of awardees is available on PDE’s website.