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21st Century Afterschool Program $1.8 million grant

Photo: Director Brent Cummings.

Walla Walla Public Schools received a $1.8 million federal five-year grant to provide 21st Century Community Learning Center afterschool programs at Edison, Green Park and Sharpstein elementary schools. This new funding allows 300 additional students, 100 per elementary school, to participate in these high quality programs focused on improved student academic performance. The primary objective of the new grant is to raise English Language Arts and math skills. The grant also provides additional resources to develop social-emotional support, reduce discipline referrals through improved student behaviors and curb chronic absenteeism.

"With adoption of the new Strategic Plan, our afterschool program sites are poised to provide high quality instruction through the aligned and coherent systems established by our district,” said 21st CCLC Director Brent Cummings. “Afterschool implementation of our newly adopted iReady curriculum and assessment, particularly at the younger grades, will provide the essential supplementary support our attendees need."

Walla Walla Public Schools now houses eight federal afterschool program sites, which includes the existing Blue Ridge, Garrison, Pioneer, Lincoln, and WaHi programs. Annually, WWPS serves 800 total students through 21st CCLC afterschool programs. Cumming says integral to the success of the new grant are the four community partners: Community Resilience Initiative, Friends of Children of Walla Walla, Commitment to Community, and SOS Health Services.

"Each partner is a respected community leader and is a valuable asset to our students' academic success,” Cummings said. “Community Resilience Initiative will help us build capacity and evaluate outcomes on a wider scale. Friends will connect us with an engaged and compassionate mentorship base. Commitment to Community will help us strengthen bonds with our school's families and local neighborhoods. SOS Health Services will provide essential after-hours wellness resources, including the free walk-in clinic, to support our students and their families."

21st Century Program Background:

21st CCLC programs support the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. These programs help students meet state and local standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and math; offer students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and provide literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.

WALLA WALLA PUBLIC SCHOOLS • 364 South Park St. • Walla Walla, WA 99362 • Phone: 509-527-3000 • Fax: 509.529.7713

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