21ST century community learning centers program

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Elementary and Secondary Education awarded the Tennessee Department of Education $23.61 million in formula grant funding under the Twenty-First Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) program (CFDA 84.287) for the period July 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026. This funding 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, and extracurricular activities in arts, music, sports, and cultural areas to supplement in-school instruction and support student academic achievement and overall development.

The Tennessee Department of Education, as the primary state recipient, distributed these funds through sub-awards to 69 implementing organizations including local educational agencies (school districts), nonprofit organizations, and community-based entities across the state. Sub-awardees include school districts such as Shelby County Schools, Hamilton County Schools, and Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, as well as nonprofit organizations including Save The Children Federation, Boys & Girls Clubs chapters, the Young Men's Christian Association, and various community development corporations. These implementing organizations operate the 21st CCLC programs at the local level, delivering tutoring, academic enrichment, mentoring, and extracurricular services to school-aged children and their families during non-school hours.