21ST century community learning centers program

The Department of Education Arkansas received a formula grant award of $12.25 million from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education under the Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program (CFDA 84.287), effective July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. As the state educational agency and primary recipient, the department functions as the pass-through entity responsible for distributing these funds to local implementing organizations throughout Arkansas.

The 21st CCLC program provides funding to establish and expand community learning centers delivering out-of-school time academic enrichment and developmental services to school-aged children, with particular emphasis on students attending high-poverty and low-performing schools. Services include tutoring, homework assistance, mentoring, academic enrichment, and extracurricular activities in arts, music, sports, and cultural areas. The Department of Education Arkansas will sub-award these formula grant funds to local educational agencies, community-based organizations, and other eligible entities to support comprehensive programming that supplements in-school instruction and promotes student academic achievement and overall development.