21ST century community learning centers program

21st Century Community Learning Centers Program Formula Grant Award Summary

The California Department of Education received a $157.7 million formula grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education under the Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers program (CFDA 84.287) for the period July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This formula grant supports the establishment and expansion of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment and developmental services to school-aged children, particularly those attending high-poverty and low-performing schools. The centers deliver comprehensive out-of-school time programming including tutoring, homework assistance, mentoring, academic enrichment, and extracurricular activities in arts, music, sports, and cultural areas designed to supplement in-school instruction and support student academic achievement and overall development.

As the primary recipient and pass-through entity, the California Department of Education distributed these funds to numerous local educational agencies, school districts, county offices of education, and community-based organizations across the state. Sub-awards documented through March and December 2025 were allocated to over 70 sub-grantees including school districts of varying sizes (ranging from small rural districts to large urban systems such as San Diego Unified, Oakland Unified, and Los Angeles-area districts), county offices of education, charter schools, and nonprofit organizations such as Boys & Girls Clubs of Sonoma-Marin and Think Together. Each sub-grantee implemented community learning center programming to help students meet state and local academic standards in core subjects such as reading and math, provide broad enrichment activities complementing regular academic programs, and deliver literacy and educational services to participating children's families in their respective communities.