The purpose of this federally funded competitive grant program is to support the implementation of academically enriching programming during Out-of-School Time (OST) (school year and summer) that increases student engagement, deepens student learning, and contributes to a well-rounded education.
Support the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's (Department's or DESE's) new Educational Vision to advance equitable learning opportunities and re-envision learning experiences for students across the Commonwealth.
Cultivate systems to support the whole child and foster joyful, healthy, and supportive learning environments so that all students feel valued and connected.
Implement effective instructional practices that promotes deeper learning so that all students engage in grade-level work that is real- world, relevant, and interactive
Provide a multi-tiered system of support that uses evidence-based, systemic practices to support students' needs.
Effectively engage students who attend schools eligible for Title I, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and their families.
Effectively engage, in linguistically and culturally sustaining ways, students with identities that have been historically marginalized in educational settings. This includes but not limited to students from families who are low income; multilingual students , students experiencing homelessness or who are migrant or in foster care; students who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC); first generation students; students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs); and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and questioning (LGBTQ+) students.
Strengthen student learning during the school year (SY) and summer by developing a coherent and holistic range of programming that is responsive to the needs and interests of diverse learners so that all students can be successful in school, empowered to make informed choices in life and prepared for college and careers.
Use data effectively in designing programming that addresses student needs and interests and in demonstrating continuous program improvement efforts.
Support Culturally and Linguistically Sustaining Practices that leverage the knowledge, strengths, and assets of students, families, educators, and the community.
Implement effective family engagement strategies with families of students served by the 21st CCLC that are culturally responsive, collaborative, and demonstrate an understanding of different languages, norms, and values with a goal of providing opportunities for meaningful engagement by families in their children's education, including opportunities for literacy and related educational development.
Build the knowledge and expertise of program educators to lead and develop engaging academically enriching programming.
Develop sustainable models for supporting additional quality learning time by coordinating Federal, State, and local resources.
Employ a full time 21st CCLC Coordinator responsible for the administration and implementation of grant funded programming (may be supported partially or in full by grant funds).
Please refer to Addendum A — Additional Requirements and Competitive Priorities for additional competitive priorities including schools in chronically underperforming status.
Competitive Priority will be given to districts and schools in chronically underperforming status.
Eligible applicants are public school districts, public charter schools, cities and towns with ≥ (at least) 15 percent of students who are Low Income (LI) as indicated at the Department's School and District Profiles page for 2023-2024.
and/or
Community-based organizations (CBOs), other public or private entities, or a consortium of two (2) or more of such agencies, organizations, or entities that will partner with schools with ≥ 15 percent of students who are LI, as indicated at the School and District Profiles page for 2023-2024 or through other research based quantitative data evidence.
An applicant may apply for:
Up to two (2) Schools/Sites — in districts/communities with ≥ 40% of students who are LI. (Using the LI percentage from the School and District Profiles page for 2022-2023 of the district/school where the majority of students to be served attend.)
One (1) School/Site — in districts/communities with <40% of students who are LI.
Please note priority consideration is given to schools eligible for Title I school-wide programs or schools that serve a high percentage of students from low-income families.
Additional eligibility parameters:
Entities/Schools not currently funded that were a previous recipient of a 21st CCLC grant must be able to demonstrate what will be different about the program going forward.
Agencies and organizations other than a school district, city, or town: Please refer to Addendum A and Addendum D that detail additional eligibility requirements outlined in Title IV, Part B of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) legislation, section 4204(b)(2)(D)(i).
Federal CFDA 84.287
Federal grant funds must adhere to:
A total of approximately $2,700,000 is projected to be available.
School Year and Summer
Please note all those awarded must employ a full-time coordinator and meet attendance requirements detailed in Part IIIB.
Note About Budgets: Applicants must submit a total budget for anticipated grant costs to support both the school year and summer program within the applicable total maximum allowable amounts noted above. Costs should be allocated based on the following timeframes for when the expenditures will occur:
Grant funds available for year one (1) 9/1/24-6/30/25 will include only the approved amount budgeted for costs anticipated to be incurred during the School Year (September - June), including summer planning costs.
Continuation grant amounts in years two (2) — five (5)are anticipated as follows:
See the Project Duration section below for more details about anticipated continuation grant cycles.
Per federal requirements, the minimum grant award amount is $50,000.
This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available, it will be distributed under the same guidelines that appear in this RFP document.
Funds may be used to support programming costs, including a required full time coordinator, site facilitator (s), staff salaries/stipends, staff planning time as it relates to the grant, partner/provider contracts, instructional materials, an education liaison, and other expenses associated with implementing grant funded programming.
No more than 10% of the funds may be used for materials and supplies per applicant site, and up to 30% of the total award may be used for the program coordinator position. It is also recommended that up to 5% of the budget be set aside to support effective family engagement efforts. This may include a part-time Family Engagement/Outreach Liaison if one does not currently exist.
Funds allocated under this federally funded grant program may be used only to supplement, not supplant, funds that local educational agencies, schools, and community-based organizations would otherwise expend for out of school time and/or extended learning opportunities. Funding may not be used to support required academic/remedial or summer school or summer school-like models, current salaries, current transportation costs, instructional materials already being used during the school day.
Applicants requesting indirect costs must have an approved rate issued by the Department. See Addendum A for more information.
Upon Approval (Anticipated 9/1/2025) – 6/30/2025 (year 1)
Pending budget appropriation, funded applicants will be eligible to apply for continuation grants for a total project duration of five (5) years (9/1/2024–8/31/2029).
Continued funding in FY2026 and FY2027 will be contingent upon implementation of grant-required activities and submission of a continuation grant that demonstrates the following:
Continued funding in FY2027, FY2028, and for Summer 2028 (7/1/2028 – 8/31/2028) will be contingent upon meeting the above noted requirements along with:
Student and Family Support
Karyl Resnick
(781) 338-3515
Thursday, June 13, 2024
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.
All responses must be received by the due date listed above. Failure to do so will result in disqualification. Responses not received on time will not be reviewed. Applicants applying after the due date may be notified their application was received late and will not be reviewed. Applications must be submitted as directed in the Submissions Instructions below. Failure to do so may result in disqualification. If you need assistance with submitting your application, please reach out to the contact person listed on this funding opportunity.
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date listed in the RFP.
All required program information and forms will be submitted in DESE's new Grants for Education Management System (GEM$). See Submission Instructions for details.
The Department will host a SALT Grant Informational Webinar on Wednesday, May 15, 2024 from 10:30 – 12:00 AM to walk interested applicants through the RFP and respond to questions. You must register to receive the Zoom link. Click here to register.
The Department will also host a series of 30-minute Question & Answer Sessions on Wednesdays from 10:00 – 10:30 AM, beginning Wednesday, May 22, 2024 through Wednesday, June 12, 2024 to respond to all questions. You must register to receive a Zoom link. You may register at any time. Attendees register once and can choose one or more Q&A sessions to attend. Click here to register.
Required Intent to apply — Intent to apply for a 21st Century Community Learning Centers Supporting Additional Learning Time Grant (FC0647 — Competitive) by May 24, 2024. Submission of the Intent to Apply does not obligate the applicant to submit a proposal.
Grant Planning Documents, Grant Addenda and Forms: Can be found on the 21st CCLC funding webpage under planning resources. Please note that all final documents and forms will be posted and submitted through GEM$. See the Submission Instructions section for details.
Additional Information on Fund Use:
The FY2025 Fund Code 647 Massachusetts 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) - Supporting Additional Learning Time Grant (SALT) - for new sites grant will be submitted in our new GEM$ system. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that will eventually phase out the use of EdGrants.
Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the Superintendent / Chief Executive approves the grant application in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application by the due date listed in the RFP.
The Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved Step allows for the organization lead to review and approve the grant application. Removing the requirement for the Part I Standard Contract Form, this step signifies Superintendent /Chief Executive sign off. Any grant budget changes requiring signature will re-execute this step when amended signifying the organization lead is approving these changes.
New Organizations: Please Note, Grant Submission requires applicants to have their organization established in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization in GEM$ must submit a completed GEMS Request Form to the DESE Program Unit Contact issuing this grant (Karyl Resnick ) at minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.
Failure to provide DESE with GEMS Request Form at least 5 business days prior to the due date may result in not meeting the submission due date listed above. DESE cannot accept or review applications after the due date.
Please Note: Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off. All these roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, maintained at the LEA level or sent in to the DESE RFP contact as described on the individual forms. The user guidance documents and forms are found on the GEM$ homepage under DESE Resources. This form can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Last Updated: June 7, 2024
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education 135 Santilli Highway, Everett, MA 02149
Voice: (781) 338-3000 TTY: (800) 439-2370
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