By Rachel Muir
A pilot program of the U.S. Department of Education will distribute $40 million this year to establish before- and after-school day-care programs at public schools across the nation.
"These grants will help expand programs where kids can go after school and feel safe and get proper instruction and supervision for their homework and other needs," U.S. Secretary of Education Richard Riley said at the announcement of the grant program.
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program will award grants to approximately 300 rural and inner-city public schools in partnership with local communities to provide youth with expanded learning opportunities in a safe, drug-free environment.
The grants, ranging from $35,000 to $200,000, will fund homework centers, mentoring in basic skills, drug and violence prevention, recreational activities and services for children with disabilities. The announcement of awards is scheduled for mid-May.
In January, a proposed five-year, $1 billion expansion of the grant program got a significant boost - a pledge of up to $55 million from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.
"The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program goes to the core legacy of the Mott Foundation, building off our earliest work to encourage and train communities and schools to work together to address community needs and student achievement," says William S. White, the foundation's chairman, president and chief executive officer. White was joined by President Clinton, First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton and Riley for the announcement of the gift.
"We are determined to help Americans succeed in the workplace, to raise well-educated healthy kids, and to help Americans succeed at the toughest job of all, that of being a parent," said President Clinton. "And the Mott Foundation has gone a long way toward helping us. I thank them."
The Mott Foundation money will support the achievement of four goals: integrating learning into after-school programs; expanding access to quality, extended learning programs; ensuring program availability among low-income and hard-to-reach populations; and developing innovative models to be shared with the field.
In addition to the $55 million pledge, the foundation contributed $2 million to sponsor 11 one-day workshops instructing school officials on how to complete the grant application. The workshops were held across the country in February.
For more information about the program, contact Carol J. Mitchell of the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Educational Research and Improvement, 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, D.C. or visit the 21st Community Learning Centers program online.
