News Release -- CDE awards $3 million in grant funding to support out-of-school-time learning for Colorado K-12 students in 24 centers across Colorado

June 10, 2024

CDE awards $3 million in grant funding to support out-of-school-time learning for Colorado K-12 students in 24 centers across Colorado

DENVER – The Colorado Department of Education is supporting school districts and community organizations to expand out-of-school-time learning opportunities for students at 24 sites across Colorado. The department awarded $3 million in grant funding from the federal Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant to support academic enrichment opportunities with a focus on serving economically disadvantaged students. 

This year’s grant recipients are the Colorado Department of Education’s 11th cohort of 21st Century Community Learning sites. Some examples of what the funds will support include:

• The Boys and Girls Club of Pueblo County will partner with Pueblo Community College to provide STEM and college preparation activities after school and during the summer at Liberty Point Elementary School in Pueblo School District 70.
• Adams 12’s PEAK Learning Center at Thornton Elementary School will implement the Build-A-Robot Program, allowing students to learn computational thinking and coding while building robots of increasing functionality and complexity.
• The High Valley Community Center in Del Norte will provide comprehensive academic enrichment programming during the day on Fridays for students at Del Norte Jr/Sr High School, which uses a four-day school week (Monday through Thursday).

”We know that access to high-quality out-of-school-time learning helps to improve academic outcomes for students while providing opportunities for young people to explore their interests in safe and supportive spaces,” said Education Commissioner Susana Córdova. “We are excited to welcome this year’s cohort of 21st Century Community Learning Centers.”    

The grantees for this year are:

• Adams 12 Five Star Schools –Coronado Hills Elementary School, Hillcrest Elementary School, Thornton Elementary School
• Boys & Girls Club Pueblo County – Liberty Point International
• Colorado Springs District 11 – Roosevelt Charter Academy
• Denver Public Schools – Barnum Elementary School, Beach Court Elementary School, Goldrick Elementary School, Hallett Academy
• Garfield School District 16 – Grand Valley Center for Family Learning, Bea Underwood Elementary, Grand Valley Middle School, Grand Valley High School
• Greeley-Evans School District 6 – Bella Romero Academy of Applied Technology, Jefferson Junior/Senior High
• High Valley Community Center  – Del Norte Elementary School, Del Norte Junior/Senior High School
• Mapleton Public Schools – Adventure Elementary
• McClave School District – McClave K-6, McClave 7-12
• Pagosa Community Initiative – Pagosa Springs Elementary School, Pagosa Springs Middle School
• School Community Youth Collaborative – Mancos Elementary School, Montezuma-Cortez Middle School

The Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center grant is the only federal grant dedicated solely to after-school, before-school, and summer learning programs. This year’s grantee cohort will receive this funding starting in the fall of 2024 through summer 2029. The next 21st Century Community Learning Center grant competition is expected to be held in early Spring 2026.

For more information about the grant, visit CDE’s webpage. For more information on other out-of-school time grants and funding opportunities, visit the CDE Office of Student Support webpage.

CDE awards $3 million in grant funding to support out-of-school-time learning for Colorado K-12 students in 24 centers across Colorado

DENVER – El Departamento de Educación de Colorado está apoyando a los distritos escolares y a las organizaciones comunitarias para expandir las oportunidades de aprendizaje fuera del horario escolar para estudiantes en 24 sitios en todo Colorado. El departamento otorgó $3 millones en financiamiento de subvenciones del programa federal Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers para apoyar oportunidades de enriquecimiento académico con un enfoque en servir a los estudiantes económicamente desfavorecidos.

Los beneficiarios de la subvención de este año son el 11mo cohorte de sitios de Aprendizaje Comunitario del Siglo 21 del Departamento de Educación de Colorado. Algunos ejemplos de lo que los fondos apoyarán incluyen:

• El Boys and Girls Club del Condado de Pueblo se asociará con el Pueblo Community College para ofrecer actividades STEM y de preparación para la universidad después de la escuela y durante el verano en Liberty Point Elementary School en el Distrito Escolar 70 de Pueblo.
• Adams 12 's PEAK Learning Center en Thornton Elementary School implementará el Programa Build-A-Robot, permitiendo a los estudiantes aprender pensamiento computacional y codificación mientras construyen robots de creciente funcionalidad y complejidad.
• El High Valley Community Center de Del Norte ofrecerá un programa integral de enriquecimiento académico los viernes durante el día para los alumnos del Del Norte Jr/Sr High School, que tiene una semana escolar de cuatro días (de lunes a jueves).

"Sabemos que el acceso a un aprendizaje de alta calidad fuera del horario escolar ayuda a mejorar los resultados académicos de los estudiantes mientras proporciona oportunidades para que los jóvenes exploren sus intereses en espacios seguros y de apoyo", dijo la Comisionada de Educación, Susana Córdova. "Estamos emocionados de dar la bienvenida a la cohorte de este año de Centros de Aprendizaje Comunitario del Siglo 21".

Los beneficiarios de este año son:

• Adams 12 Five Star Schools -Escuela Primaria Coronado Hills, Escuela Primaria Hillcrest, Escuela Primaria Thornton
• Boys & Girls Club Pueblo County – Liberty Point International
• Colorado Springs District 11 – Roosevelt Charter Academy
• Denver Public Schools – Escuela Primaria Barnum, Escuela Primaria Beach Court, Escuela Primaria Goldrick, Hallett Academy
• Garfield School District 16 – Grand Valley Center for Family Learning, Escuela Primaria Bea Underwood, Escuela Secundaria Grand Valley, Escuela Preparatoria Grand Valley
• Greeley-Evans School District 6 – Academia de Tecnología Aplicada Bella Romero, Escuela Secundaria Jefferson Junior/Senior
• High Valley Community Center – Escuela Primaria Del Norte, Escuela Secundaria Del Norte Junior/Senior
• Mapleton Public Schools – Escuela Primaria Adventure
• McClave School District – McClave K-6, McClave 7-12
• Pagosa Community Initiative – Escuela Primaria Pagosa Springs, Escuela Secundaria Pagosa Springs
• School Community Youth Collaborative – Escuela Primaria Mancos, Escuela Secundaria Montezuma-Cortez

La subvención del Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center es la única subvención federal dedicada exclusivamente a programas de aprendizaje después de la escuela, antes de la escuela y de verano. La cohorte de beneficiarios de este año recibirá este financiamiento a partir del otoño de 2024 hasta el verano de 2029. Se espera que la próxima competencia de subvenciones del 21st Century Community Learning Center se lleve a cabo a principios de la primavera de 2026.

Para obtener más información sobre la subvención, visite la página web de CDE. Para obtener más información sobre otras subvenciones y oportunidades de financiamiento para el tiempo fuera del horario escolar, visite la página web de la Oficina de Apoyo Estudiantil de CDE.