Afterschool and Out-of-School Time (ASOST), Including Summer, Select Grant Programs

If interested in receiving updates on any afterschool and out-of-school time, including summer, funding opportunities, please sign up here: Afterschool/Out-of-School Time and Summer Funding Opportunities.

Afterschool and Out-of-School Time (ASOST) — State Funds

The goal of this state funded (line item 7061-9611) competitive grant program under Fund Codes 528-530 is to enhance the quality of and increase access to afterschool and out-of-school time (ASOST) programs in order to improve the academic, physical, social, and emotional wellness of school-age youth during the school year and the summer months.

The main priorities for this grant are to improve the quality of and access to ASOST programs and services by:

• Supporting activities that enhance one or more of the quality criteria areas outlined in the Guidelines for Quality Enhancements in After-School and Out-of-School Time (Category A — Quality Enhancements);
• Increasing access to quality ASOST programs for students who have previously been underserved including but not limited to students considered as low-income, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), English learners, special education, migrant, experiencing homelessness, in foster care and/or living in rural areas (Category B — Increased Access); and
• Providing regional and statewide professional development (PD), which may include networking opportunities, for other ASOST providers (Category C — Regional or Statewide PD/Networking).

American Rescue Plan (ARP) — Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) — Federal Funds

The Department is supporting two funding opportunities from the required 1% set asides from ARP-ESSER funding (approximately $36 million) for afterschool and summer programming.

• Lead Applicant Focus of Community-Based Organizations (with districts as partners)

  ASOST-Rebound (ASOST-R) Subgrant Grant: A competitive grant (Fund Codes 409-410) to fund several regional or statewide non-profit entities with the ability to subgrant and provide wraparound support to afterschool and out-of-school time (ASOST) providers. The overall goal of this grant is then to help ASOST programs rebound and strengthen quality of services from impacts of COVID-19 and thereby improve learning and social-emotional outcomes and access to enrichment opportunities for youth impacted as well.

  • These awarded entities will in turn be offering opportunities to others to apply for funding (and other supports) for afterschool and summer programming. Interested "subgrant" applicants can contact the Department or the following awardees for more information based on organization type and region:
    • Alliance of Massachusetts YMCAs (Statewide — YMCAs only)
    • Boston After School and Beyond (Boston)
    • Massachusetts Afterschool Partnership (Southeast/Western-Regions 1/5)
    • Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs (Statewide — Boys & Girls Clubs only)
    • Springfield Empowerment Zone (Springfield)
    • United Way of Central MA (Central-Region 2)
    • United Way of Massachusetts Bay & Merrimack Valley (Northeast/Metro West/Greater Boston-Regions 3/4/6, excluding Boston)
    
    

• Grant Program with Lead Applicant Focus of Districts (with CBOs as partners)

  Development and Expansion of High Quality Summer Learning Grant: A competitive grant (Fund Codes 527-525-523) geared to school districts to support the development and expansion of high quality, comprehensive summer learning programs to address both the academic and social-emotional impacts of COVID-19.

Development and Expansion of High Quality Summer Learning Programs — State Funds

The Development and Expansion of High Quality Summer Learning Programs (Fund Code 527) is funded through state line item 7061-9814. The purpose of this grant program is to increase access to quality afterschool and summer learning programs. The priorities of the grant are to:

• Supports the development of a new summer program or the expansion of an existing summer program by adding more students and/or time;
• Offers at least 150 hours of programming with a focus on academic and college and career readiness skills, including critical thinking, collaboration, perseverance and other social and emotional areas;
• Offers engaging and innovative hands-on programming;
• Offers enrichment activities that will help to close opportunity gaps;
• Connects to evidence/researched-based programming;
• Creates an anti-racist, culturally responsive and welcoming environment; and
• Collaborates with a variety of organizations and leverages cost-sharing partnerships with local districts, private funders and non-profit institutions.

Contact Information:

Allison Smith
via asost@mass.gov or allisonward.smith@mass.gov
or (781) 338-3010 or (781) 338-3232

or Donna Pisaturo
via asost@mass.gov or donna.m.pisaturo@mass.gov
or (781) 338-3010 or (781) 338-3322

or Rachelle Engler Bennett, Associate Commissioner
via achievement@doe.mass.edu or 781-338-3010

Office of Student and Family Support
Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
75 Pleasant St., Malden MA 02148-4906

Last Updated: March 3, 2023