HARRISBURG – Secretary of Education Ron Tomalis has announced the 57 schools and organizations that will receive a total of $64.4 million as part of the 21st Century Community Learning Challenge Grant.
“The purpose of these grants is to fund the establishment and sustainability of community learning centers that provide educational services to students in high-poverty and low-performing schools,” Tomalis said. “The entities which were selected to receive funding from the 21st Century Community Learning Challenge provide educational experiences that complement, supplement and fill-in the gaps of the work being done in the classroom.”
The federally-funded grant was established under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.
“The community learning centers which applied for funding were required to provide students with a variety of enrichment opportunities that they might not receive at school or at home,” Tomalis said. “Applicants provide academic, cultural or artistic activities for children, as well as services to the families of participating students.”
The Pennsylvania Department of Education received 119 applications, which were reviewed and scored by a panel that then made grant award recommendations. One of the provisions of the grant was that the awardees had to be representative of the eight geographical regions of the state.
Those chosen to receive the federal funding include: 19 community-based organizations; 17 school districts; 10 charter schools; five intermediate units; three institutes of higher education; and three faith-based organizations.
“Throughout Pennsylvania, there are countless students who are trapped in schools that are not meeting their academic, social and emotional needs,” Tomalis said. “Efforts are being made to transform Pennsylvania’s educational establishment for the benefit of every student – however change is not occurring fast enough for a generation of students who we are failing. Thankfully, we have organizations and community leaders who willingly continue to support students in their educational endeavors after the school bell rings.”
Editor’s Note: Below is the list of award winners and the total four-year award amount:
Adams County
Lincoln Intermediate Unit 12 – $612,000
Allegheny County
Cornell School District – $552,000
McKeesport Area School District – $909,001
Wireless Neighborhoods – $1,401,600
Youth Places/Tides Center Pennsylvania – $1,403,776
Bedford County
Bedford Area School District – $1,058,405
Berks County
Reading School District – $1,434,155
Bucks County
Lower Bucks Family YMCA – $1,499,999
Morrisville Borough School District – $1,497,526
United Way of Bucks County – $1,260,000
Cambria County
Greater Johnstown School District – $1,341,440
Chester County
Widener Partnership Charter School – $629,363
Crawford/Venango County
Titusville YMCA – $1,127,242
Dauphin County
Harrisburg City School District – $1,500,000
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of the Capital Region – $360,000
Delaware County
Chester Community Charter School – $1,497,006
Chester-Upland School District – $1,440,000
Southeast Delco School District – $1,440,000
Erie County
Mercyhurst College – $1,497,745
Perseus House Charter School of Excellence – $473,544
Fayette County
Intermediate Unit 1 – $755,916
Fayette/Westmoreland County
PIC of Westmoreland-Fayette – $1,455,767
Franklin County
Kids Learning AfterSchool – $407,156
Huntingdon County
Mount Union Area School District – $614,223
Indiana County
ARIN Intermediate Unit 28 – $1,228,923
Lancaster County
Lancaster School District – $1,500,000
Lebanon County
Lebanon School District – $1,475,999
Lehigh County
Allentown City School District – $1,454,400
Council of Spanish Speaking Organization of Lehigh Valley – $456,000
Roberto Clemente Charter School – $504,000
Lehigh/Carbon County
Lehigh-Carbon Community College – $633,599
Mercer County
Farrell Area School District – $1,493,720
Montgomery County
Norristown Area School District – $882,000
Northampton County
Bethlehem Area School District – $1,500,000
Northumberland County
Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit 16 – $1,267,200
Philadelphia County
Allegheny West Foundation – $540,000
Catholic Social Services of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia – $1,540,709
Church of St. Andrew and St. Monica – $1,007,946
Congreso de Latinos Unidos, Inc. – $1,499,997
Education Works – $1,497,595
Foundations Inc. – $1,494,000
Freire Charter School – $1,218,765
Franklintown Charter High School – $1,494,000
Mastery Charter School-Gratz Campus – $1,463,526
Mastery Charter School-Pickett Campus -$1,466,726
Mastery Charter School-Shoemaker Campus – $1,078,024
Mercy Neighborhood Ministries of Philadelphia – $387,531
Netter Center for Community Partnerships University of Philadelphia – $1,367,999
Pan American Academy Charter School – $461,998
Public Health Management Corporation – $1,500,001
Scholarship in Progress – $1,476,096
The Salvation Army Divisional Headquarters – $468,195
Universal Companies – $1,440,000
Schuylkill County
Schuylkill Intermediate Unit 29 – $1,247,645
Warren County
Warren County School District – $949,542
York County
YWCA of Hanover – $1,241,999
YWCA York – $1,079,998