Supported with federal funds, the purpose of this competitive Exemplary Grant Program is to support a network of high quality 21st Century Community Learning Center programs (21st CCLC) that are able to identify exemplary practices and demonstrate the ability to serve as models, mentors, and resources on those practices.
Effectively engage students who attend schools eligible for Title I, Part A of Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and their families.
Effectively engage students with identities and cultures that have been historically marginalized in educational settings.
Contribute to deepening student learning through engaging, academically enriching programming that is real world, relevant, and interactive.
Support of DESE strategic objectives for deeper learning including developing a coherent and holistic range of programming that is responsive to the needs and interests of diverse learners.
Support the Department's Educational Vision to advance equitable learning opportunities and re-envision learning experiences for students across the Commonwealth.
Contribute to the development of a library of grantee designed and implemented high quality project-based learning units.
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.
Leverage assessment data to design programming that is tailored to the needs and interests of students and demonstrates continuous program improvement efforts.
Develop systems of support that engage students and families in ways that are culturally relevant, and leverage the knowledge, strengths, and assets of students, families, educators, and the community.
Develop systems of support that engage students and families in schools that are in chronically underperforming status.
Develop sustainable models for supporting additional quality learning time.
Contribute to enhancing and advancing the work of the MA 21st CCLC Program by sharing promising practices by serving as resources, models, and mentors to new and existing 21st CCLC Programs.
Priority will be given to districts and schools in the strategic transformation region.
Out of Schol Time (OST) Applicants must continue to offer at least 400 hours of comprehensive programming during the school year (SY) and summer. Enrolled students are not expected to attend all 400 hours; however, it is expected that students will attend the programming an average of a minimum of 80–100 hours per year.
Expanded Learning Time [ELT] applicants must continue to offer a minimum of 300 expanded learning program hours by:
Providing a school schedule that has increased the total number of hours required for all students by at least 180 hours over the State mandated requirements;
and
Providing a minimum of 120 hours of summer programming for a select population of students who could benefit from additional engaging opportunities during the summer. Please note the total hours for SY and summer must add up to at least 300 hours.
OST/ELT— Participation in the High Quality Project Based Learning (HQPBL) Training— Cohort VI (see the District/Lead Applicant Required Program Information section in the grant application for additional details and requirements).
See Addendum A for additional requirements and priorities for all applicants.
Applicants may apply for sites that received a Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 Fund Code (FC) 646 grant as well as corresponding continuation grants and have met all grant and eligibility requirements (detailed in Addendum A).
Federal CFDA 84.287C
Federal grant funds must adhere to:
The receipt of grant funds is contingent upon the grantee being able to certify that it will comply with the Massachusetts General Laws, including G.L. c. 40A, § 3A, the MBTA Communities Act. Compliance with the MBTA Communities Act is determined by the Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities.
A total of approximately $2,000,000 is projected to be available.
Applicant schools/site are eligible to apply for up to the amount received in FY2025.
Applicants may apply for up to an additional $10,000/site to help support transportation costs. The additional transportation funds may only be used to support transporting students home during the school year (SY) program, and to and from the program during the summer. Applicants must be able to demonstrate the need for additional transportation funds.
Note: 21st CCLC grant funds cannot be used to support the cost of transportation for students who have transportation as a related service in their Individualized Education Program (IEP). It is the responsibility of the district to support those costs.
Note About Budgets: For FY2026, costs should be allocated based on the following timeframes for when the expenditure will occur:
Pending Federal Budget approval continuation grant amounts in years two (2) and three (3) 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 $50,000.
This RFP is the governing document for these grant funds.
Funding is contingent upon availability. All dollar amounts listed are estimated/approximate and are subject to change. If more funding becomes available it will be distributed under the same guidelines.
Funds must be used solely to support, enhance, and/or provide related programming and activities that address the Purpose and Priorities detailed above, and may include salaries, stipends, contracts, instructional materials, and other expenses associated with implementing 21CCLC approved programming.
These funds may not be used to supplant existing costs, which would otherwise be funded (in the absence of these grant funds) from other sources (e.g., current salary levels, current transportation costs, instructional materials already being used during the school day, etc.).
Upon approval (No earlier than 08/15/2025) – 06/30/2026
Eligibility for continued funding in years two and three (FY2027 and FY2028, and Summer 2028) will be based on evidence that the program has met the key requirements, grant priorities (including maintenance of attendance levels for, and evidence that the grantee is working towards sustaining the program beyond the grant period.
Office of Student and Family Support
Karyl Resnick
(781) 338-3515
Thursday, June 12, 2025 at 5:00 PM
Proposals must be received at the Department by 5:00 p.m. Eastern on the date due.
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted when the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP.
All responses must be submitted through the proper steps and received by the due date/time 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.
We will be hosting a virtual grant information session on May 2, 2025 to review the RFP and respond to questions and a writer's workshop for all applicants on May 16, 2025. We will be hosting a virtual grant information session on May 2, 2025, to review the RFP and respond to questions and a writer's workshop for all applicants on May 22, 2025.
Site visits as well as information gathered by the Department through data collection will account for approximately 30% of the overall score. Additionally, points will be deducted based on risk assessment data. Refer to Addendum F for risk assessment data points.
Recipients will be required to utilize the Survey of Academic and Youth Outcomes (SAYO) for all students served by these funds.
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 Grant 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.
The FY2026 Fund Code 0 646 Massachusetts 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Exemplary Programs grant should be submitted in GEM$. GEM$ is a cloud-based fiscal and program management grant system that DESE utilizes to administer grant funds.
Grants for Education Management System (GEM$)
New organizations that do not have an established LEA with DESE skip to Step 3.
Step 1: Establish and assign proper roles before the grant due date/time. Grant Submission at the LEA level requires roles to be established for Grant writer for the specific fund code, LEA fiscal for financial review/approval, and Superintendent/Chief Executive sign off.
All roles should be established prior to the grant due date and all appropriate forms should be either uploaded to GEM$, 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. These forms can be accessed without logging in to the system.
Step 2: Submit the grant through all LEA steps in GEM$. There are three LEA steps a competitive grant must be submitted through by the due date and time to be considered for funding:
Competitive grant applications are considered submitted once the grant application is submitted by the Superintendent or their designee through the "LEA Superintendent / Chief Executive Approved" step in GEM$. In order to be considered for competitive funding, applicants must submit a grant application through the LEA Superintendent Approved stage by the due date and time listed in the RFP. Please plan accordingly.
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.
Step 3: (If applicable) New organizations request temporary organization access. New organizations are entities that have not been established as an LEA in GEM$. Entities that do not have an organization in GEM$ must contact the DESE Program Unit issuing this grant at a minimum 5 business days prior to the grant due date for temporary organization access.
Temporary Access will need to be created by DESE before you can then assign the proper roles and submit the grant as outlined in Steps 1 and 2.
Failure to provide DESE with GEM$ Temp Organization Access Request 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.
Last Updated: April 18, 2025