21ST century community learning centers program

The Commonwealth of Virginia State Board of Education received a $22.47 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 (21st CCLC) program (CFDA 84.287), awarded July 1, 2025, with a completion date of September 30, 2026. This 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 21st CCLC program delivers comprehensive out-of-school time programming including tutoring, homework assistance, mentoring, academic enrichment activities, and extracurricular programs in arts, music, sports, and cultural areas to supplement in-school instruction.

The State Board of Education, as the primary recipient, functions as a pass-through entity distributing sub-awards to 36 local implementing organizations across Virginia, including local school districts, nonprofit organizations, and community-based entities. Sub-awardees include school districts such as Roanoke City Public Schools, Norfolk Public Schools, and Richmond Public Schools; community-based organizations including Boys & Girls Clubs of Southwest Virginia and Communities In Schools of Appalachian Highlands; nonprofit educational foundations such as the Henrico Education Foundation; and higher education institutions including James Madison University. Through these sub-grants awarded between October 30, 2025, and March 3, 2026, the implementing organizations provide before-school, after-school, and summer learning programs designed to support student academic achievement and overall development in their respective communities.