DPI announces CLC grant competition

The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) has announced the availability of grant funding through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program, funded under the federal Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Funds may be used to build or expand after school programs that provide academic enrichment in reading and math, as well as other youth development and recreation activities during the hours when school is not in session.

For centers new to DPI funding, grants awarded through the competition will provide an average of $100,000 per center, per year, for a period of five years, assuming adequate funds continue to be appropriated by Congress. As part of the same grant competition, continuation grants are available for grantees that have completed a five year cycle of DPI funding. Continuation grants for successful applicants will provide an average of $75,000 per center per year for the first year of an additional three year period. Continuation grant funds are expected to decrease to an average of $50,000 in the second and third years. Current grantees whose five year project period continues beyond 2007-08 will not need to compete at this time, and will be given an opportunity to renew their grants at a later date.

Eligibility for a new or continuation grant requires submission of an application by a public school district, private school, charter school, or community based organization that identifies a school where at least 40 percent of the student population is qualified for free or reduced lunch (exceptions may be made for schools with large numbers of students eligible for free or reduced lunch); and submission of an application by a partnership consisting of a school and at least one community based organization. Applications that do not document such a collaborative relationship will not be considered.

DPI will give priority to applications which address higher levels of economic disadvantage than the minimum requirement, and program services to be provided in a school, or with students primarily attending schools that failed to make adequate yearly progress or are identified for improvement.

To assist applicants to prepare high quality proposals, the department is conducting drive-in workshops on November 13 at the Olympia Resort and Conference Center in Oconomowoc, and on November 14 at the Holiday Inn and Conference Center in Mosinee. The events will be scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. In addition, a statewide conference call and web-based presentation will be held on November 15 from 10:00 to 11:30 a.m. for those unable to attend the workshops.

Technical assistance in application development also is available by phone and email. The application, guidance document, and reviewer benchmarks will be available in mid-November on the Department of Public Instruction’s website at dpi.wi.gov/sspw/clc.html. They will be similar to the 2006-07 guidance document and 2004 application form already available there. The submission deadline is January 31, 2007. Award announcements are expected to be made on or about March 1, 2007. Further information on eligibility, program requirements, priorities, and additional resources on best practices may also be found on the website, or applicants may call (608)266-8960 and ask to speak with a CLC program consultant.

Last updated on 11/6/2006