The children's museum of tacoma will expand its tacoma out of school time intermediary program to provide over 54,000 elementary and middle school students across pierce county with academic support…

The Children's Museum of Tacoma will expand its Tacoma Out of School Time Intermediary program to provide over 54,000 elementary and middle school students in Pierce County, Washington with academic support through expanded learning opportunities (ELOs) under a $5.2 million project grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). The museum will hire 14 new staff, partner with 73 schools, and contract with over 60 community ELO providers to offer students safe, structured, and engaging learning environments outside the regular school day that complement classroom instruction. Programming will focus on art, music, science, technology, engineering and math, social-emotional learning, physical education, nutrition, and drug and violence prevention. An external evaluator will develop a measurement framework and tools to evaluate progress towards goals of decreasing early school dropout rates and increasing academic engagement and physical activity for underserved students and families. The two-year grant is funded through September 1, 2022 to August 31, 2024 under the IMLS' Museums for America federal grant program (CFDA 45.301).

The children's museum of tacoma will expand its tacoma out of school time intermediary program to provide over 54,000 elementary and middle school students across pierce county with academic support through expanded learning opportunities (ELOS). The museum will hire 14 new staff, partner with 73 schools, and contract with over 60 community ELO providers to offer students safe, structured, and engaging learning environments outside the school day that complement what they are learning in school. They will support student learning and development through art, music, stem, social-emotional learning, physical education, nutrition, and drug and violence prevention programming. An external evaluator will develop a measurement framework and associated tools at the outset of the project. Project goals aim to assist in decreasing rates of early school dropouts and increasing academic engagement and physical activity for tacoma's most underserved students and families.