The purpose of this competitive grant program is to support the implementation of academically enriching programming during Out-of-School Time (OST) and/or Expanded Learning Time (ELT — a longer school day/year for all students) that helps to close proficiency and opportunity gaps, increases student engagement, and contributes to a well-rounded education.
The main priority of this grant is the implementation of interactive, relevant, and engaging teaching and learning that meets the specific academic, social emotional learning, and developmental needs of students, and is aligned to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (Department) goals and strategies .
The Department's overarching priorities for supporting additional time through this grant, include:
Using more time to deepen student learning by implementing innovative teaching and learning strategies that are multi-disciplinary, cross curricular, and support students in all developmental areas (academic, social emotional, civic, wellness, etc.).
Using more time to implement well rounded programming that includes but is not limited to project-based learning, media technology, health and wellness, arts and music, Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and other academic enrichment programming that addresses student needs and interests.
Using data effectively in designing programming that addresses student needs and interests and in demonstrating continuous program improvement efforts.
Using more time to provide additional opportunities for adults (including school staff, program providers, and partners) to participate in collaborative planning and professional development that supports desired student outcomes.
Supporting the development of systems of support and programming that are culturally relevant, and leverages the knowledge, strengths, and assets of students, families, educators, and the community.
Demonstrating that the activities proposed are not otherwise accessible to students who would be served, and/or would expand access to high-quality services in the community.
Developing engaging summer programming that helps prevent and address the summer learning slide and helps students transition successfully into elementary, middle, and high school.
Developing effective family engagement strategies that are culturally responsive, collaborative, and demonstrates an understanding of different languages, norms, and values with a goal of contributing to improved student outcomes in all developmental areas as described above.
Developing sustainable models for supporting additional quality learning time.
Applicants will implement the above priorities using one of the following models:
Model 1 — Out-of-School Time (OST): Applicants choosing this option must provide at least 400 hours of comprehensive OST programming at a school/site during the school year and summer for a selected population of students. The selected population of students should predominantly include those who are economically disadvantaged (ED), as well as English Language Learners, students receiving special education services, academically at-risk, and/or who could benefit from the supports provided during the additional learning time.
Note: Enrolled students are expected to attend regularly and consistently an average of a minimum of 80-100 hours per school year. Drop-in programs are not allowed. Refer to Part IIIA-B for additional information on attendance requirements.
Model 2 — Expanded Learning Time (ELT): Applicants choosing this option must offer a minimum of 300 expanded learning program hours by:
establishing a school schedule that will increase the total number of hours required for all students by a minimum of 180 hours, beyond the State-mandated requirements.
provide a 120 hours summer program for a selected population of students who could benefit from additional academically enriching learning time.
Eligible applicants are school districts, cities and towns, community-based organizations (CBOs), other public or private entities, or a consortium of two (2) or more of such agencies, organizations, or entities. Overall priority will be given to applicants that meet at least one (1) of the following criteria:
Propose to provide programming to students in schools designated as Title I School-Wide (SW) programs.
Propose to serve schools with ≥ (at least) 15 percent of students who are ED, as indicated at the Department's School and District profiles page or through other documented evidence and determined by the Local Education Agency (LEA) in need of extra support.
Additional eligibility parameters for Model 1 (OST):
Applicants in communities that have an open bid process for selecting outside providers to implement OST programming in school buildings must provide a letter of support for the proposed 3-year program from the chair of the school committee.
Applications from agencies and organizations other than a school district, city, or town must demonstrate that they will implement more time in full partnership with a public school/district. These applicants will be screened for capacity to administer the program and must complete Addendum B — Documentation of Organizational Capacity, which includes a required letter of support from the school/district. See Required Forms section below.
Applicants may not request OST funding for schools/sites that currently receive a 21st CCLC OST grant. Refer to for our 21st CCLC web page for a listing of current recipients.
Additional eligibility parameters for Model 2 (ELT) only:
Applicants may not request ELT funding for schools that currently receive a 21st CCLC ELT grant. Refer to for our 21st CCLC web page for a listing of current fiscal year 2018-2019 (FY19) recipients.
Applicants may not request funding under Model 2 for schools that are eligible to receive FY20 funding for ELT through the state-funded Expanded Learning Time program.
Applicants requesting ELT funds at a school that is eligible to receive FY20 continuation funding for OST through Fund Code 645 must continue to meet all requirements of that existing grant award, including the originally required number of OST hours.
Overall competitive priority will be given to applicants that:
Propose to serve youth from schools/communities with ≥40 percent of students who are ED, as indicated at the Department's School and District profiles page.
Propose to implement more time in, or in partnership with, schools and districts designated as requiring assistance or intervention in 2018 (to view school accountability data — select "district" or "school" and "2018" and then "view report"). All Massachusetts public schools and districts with sufficient data are now classified into one of two categories: schools and districts that require assistance or intervention, and schools and districts that do not require assistance or intervention. Accountability reports include information on each district and school's performance against improvement targets, as well as information about each school's overall performance compared to other schools in the state.
Submit the application in full partnership, including a school district as well as one or more community-based organizations and/or other public or private organizations. A LEA (school district) may receive priority points without a partner if they are able to show that they are unable to partner with a community-based organization in a reasonable geographic proximity and of sufficient quality.
Have not previously received 21st CCLC funding.
ELT applicants that infuse the enrichment into the weekly student schedule (offered every day) and/or includes a PBL block as a teaching and learning strategy.
The Department reserves the right to consider additional factors such as geographic distribution and diversity of applicant type in making final award decisions. In addition, for applicants under Model 2 (ELT) that are receiving or applying for School Redesign Grants, the Department reserves the right to consider the status of both applications in making funding decisions.
Federal CFDA 84.287
A total of approximately $2,000,000 is projected to be available. The final total amount available is subject to federal budget appropriation.
Applicants may not request funding for the same school/site under both Model 1 (OST) and Model 2 (ELT).
Maximum number of new school(s)/site(s) for which an applicant may apply:
Two (2) Schools/Sites — Districts/communities with ≥ 40% of students who are ED. (Using Department's School and District profiles page of the district where the majority of students to be served attend.)
One (1) School/Site — Districts/communities with <40% of students who are ED.
An applicant may apply for:
Model 1 (OST):
Up to $175,000 per site — (For sites that will serve approximately 40–60+ students per day).
Up to $140,000 per site — (For sites that will serve approximately 25–39 students per day).
Plus up to an additional $15,000/site to help support transportation costs if needed. Please note transportation funds may only be used to support transporting students home during the SY program and to and from the program during the summer. These funds may not be used for busses or transportation for field trips. Please see additional information for further details regarding field trip expenses. Applicants must demonstrate that other funds are not available to support transportation costs.
Please note all sites must meet attendance requirements detailed in Part IIIB.
Model 2 (ELT):
School Year $500 per pupil based on the current (SY19) enrollment at the proposed school(s).
Summer — up to an additional $20,000 to support a 120 hour (minimum) summer program.
The grant request should support the enhancement or addition of engaging academic enrichment and/or intervention as described under the priorities section.
Plus up to an additional $5,000/site if transportation is needed. Please note transportation funds may only be used to support transporting students to and from the program during the summer. These funds may not be used for field trips. Please see additional information for further details regarding field trip expenses. Applicants must demonstrate that other funds are not available to support transportation costs.
The applicant must demonstrate a plan to support other anticipated costs associated with implementing a longer school day that will not be covered using grant funds. These costs can be covered using a variety of sources including, but not limited to: Title I, local funds, existing state or federal grants, etc.
Per federal requirements, the minimum grant award amount is $50,000.
The requested amount should be appropriate and reasonable for the size and scope of the proposed activities.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding is to become available it will be distributed under the same guideline as listed in the initial RFP document.
Model 1 (OST) applicants with an existing OST program must demonstrate that the funds from this grant will be used to significantly expand and support enhanced or new programming for students. These funds cannot be used for the purpose of providing scholarships for students to attend OST programs.
Model 2 (ELT) applicants must identify specific enrichment and/or intervention components of the proposed longer day that will be supported through this grant. The academically enriching programming must occur with in the context of the longer school day/year and not an add on at the end of the school day.
For All Applicants
Funds may be used to support salaries, stipends, contracts, instructional materials, and other expenses associated with implementing grant funded programming. No more than 10% of the funds may be used for materials and supplies, and no more than 20–25% for program administration. All applicants are required to have a full or part time coordinator who is directly responsible for the successful implementation of the proposed program(s).
These funds may not be used to supplant existing, currently funded costs, which would otherwise be funded (in the absence of these grant funds) from other sources (e.g., current salary levels, current transportation costs, instructional materials already being used during the school day, etc.).
It is expected that all applicants are developing plans to ensure that the activities and initiatives that are supported through these funds will be sustained beyond the grant period.
Allowable activities include, but are not limited to, the following:
Project Based Learning (PBL)
Creative Arts including Art, Theater, Music, Dance
Nutrition and Health Education/Wellness Programs
Financial and Environmental Literacy
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
Blended Learning
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. (Note grant funds may not be used to stipend students to attend the program.)
Opportunities for credit recovery, (new or expanded), utilizing creative approaches such as PBL.
Drug and Violence Prevention Programs/Counseling Programs
Offer families of students served by the 21st CCLC opportunities for active and meaningful engagement in their children's education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
Indirect Costs: Any entity that wishes to include indirect costs in the budget request must have a 2020 approved rate from the Department/State.
Districts/schools requesting indirect costs must use their current approved rate.
For community based entities that have a 2020 approved indirect cost rate, no more than 5% may be budgeted for indirect costs.
Applicants that do not have an approved indirect cost rate may apply to the Department for one. This rate is only for grants issued by the Department and is not to be considered as an overall indirect cost rate to be used with any other funding sources. Click here to access a list of approved rates or download an application.
Throughout the duration of the grant, recipients are required to:
Offer an ELT and/or OST schedule that meets the minimum number of required hours based on the chosen model. See the priorities section above for details.
Designate a part- or full-time coordinator whose primary role is to oversee administration and implementation of this grant.
Attend trainings and implement Department-designated program evaluation tools.
Submit required reporting by the due dates posted (including student data and narrative).
Note: It is also recommended that at least five (5) percent of the total budget is set aside to support family involvement. This may include a part-time Family Engagement/Outreach Liaison if one does not currently exist.
See Addendum A — Grant Assurances in the Required Forms section below for additional grant requirements.
Upon approval (no earlier than 09/01/2019) – 08/31/2020
Pending budget appropriation, two years of continuation of funding will be available, for a total grant period of three (3) years (FY20-FY22).
Continued funding in years two (FY21) and three (FY22) will be contingent upon implementation of grant-required activities and demonstrating the following:
the ability to use data to inform and support continuous improvement;
maintenance of grant-funded program attendance levels (for OST and summer programming);
evidence that the grantee is working toward sustaining programming beyond the grant period; and
annual submission of required information including mid-year and end-of-year report/reapplication.
Student and Family Support
Karyl Resnick Allison Smith
(781) 338-3515
The following activities must be completed prior to grant submission:
Department Notification of Intent to Apply — due Thursday, May 17, 2019
The following information is requested:
Important Note: Submission of the Intent to Apply does not obligate the applicant to submit a proposal.
Full Proposals Due: Thursday, June 13, 2019
See the Submission Instructions section below for additional details.
Electronic proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. on the due date. Hard copies must be postmarked by the due date. See submission instructions below.
Questions and Information Webinar: Due to the competitive nature of this grant program, all questions about the Funding Opportunity documents and process will be addressed during the Grant Information Webinar and Q & A sessions.
Dates for 21st CCLC Webinar and Q & A Sessions may be found on the online registration page or the 21st CCLC web page.
Questions may be emailed in advance of the webinars/conference calls to mailto:cclc@doe.mass.edu (with the subject: FC647 Question) or asked during the session(s).
Guidance for completing Grant Budget Request — Section IIB of the Grants for Schools: Getting Them and Using Them, A Procedural Manual provides guidance for completing the required budget workbook.
Community Notification of Intent to Apply — Federal law requires that applicants for grants under the 21st CCLC program must notify their community of their intent to apply, in a timely manner prior to submission of the proposal, and if awarded funding, disseminate information about the 21st CCLC program to the community in a manner that is understandable and accessible. Applicants must submit confirmation of/plans for these notifications (see Part IIIA section C).
Consultation with Non-Public Schools — In accordance with the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) Title IX Part E, Uniform Provisions, Subpart I - Private Schools, (similar to the Title I requirement), applicants must consult in a timely and meaningful way with private school officials within the geographic community proposed to be served, during the design and development of the 21st CCLC program, on issues such as how the private school students' and teachers' needs will be identified, and what services may be offered. Any services provided to private schools must be secular, neutral, and non-ideological.
Applicants must document this timely and meaningful consultation, as well as any resulting agreements, and must submit confirmation of this consultation using Addendum B - Documentation of Consultation Regarding Non-Public School Participation (see Required Forms section below). For more information, see the U.S. Department of Education's Non-Regulatory Guidance.
Field trips are an allowable expense provided they have an educational component and connect to and support program activities and outcomes. Out of state field trips are allowed in rare occasions and must be approved in advance by the Department's 21st CCLC Program Coordinator. Field trip expenses (entry fees, etc.) should be budgeted under other costs Memberships/Subscriptions/Computer Licenses. Grant funds may be used to cover field trip transportation costs and should be budgeted under student transportation line.
Grant award notification: The Department will provide notice to all applicants when grant awards are finalized and will post a list of funded grantees on the Department's Grants Awards webpage. All applicants not selected for funding will be provided with information about the process for requesting feedback about their application. See the Department's formal appeal process for more information.
Email one complete application to cclc@doe.mass.edu and mail one complete hard copy of Parts IIIA and B for each applicant site, excel budget pages and completed Addendums A-D to:
Upon award, recipients will be required to enter the approved budget in EdGrants and upload required documents. Grant recipients will be contacted with further instructions on the process.
Last Updated: April 30, 2019
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
Disclaimer: A reference in this website to any specific commercial products, processes, or services, or the use of any trade, firm, or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public and does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.