Office of Student and Family Support (SFS)

Additional Learning Opportunities

Additional learning opportunities provide time beyond the traditional school day to support learning and development in children and youth. High quality programs and initiatives complement and enhance a student's school experiences, strengthen family involvement and engagement, provide time for teacher collaboration, and fortify school-community partnerships. Through a variety of initiatives and programs, many schools and communities provide comprehensive services for youth to develop academically, physically, emotionally, and civically.

Efforts supported through the SFS unit include the following:

• Federally-funded 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) — The purpose of this competitive grant is to increase students' in grades K–12 motivation to learn through the provision of culturally responsive, interactive, relevant, and engaging programming that that supports additional learning time either in the context of an expanded school day/year referred to as expanded learning time (ELT) or beyond the school day/year referred to as out-of-school time (OST). In both models programming is designed to support the implementation of high quality Project Based Learning (PBL) and other academically enriching opportunities that address student needs and interests and are aligned to the Department's goals and strategies .

• State-funded After-School and Out-of-School Time (ASOST) Quality Enhancement Grants are designed to increase and enhance comprehensive and effective ASOST programming for students in grades K–12. Grants support children's and youth's academic, social, and emotional development outside of the regular school day, for public and non-public school age students during the school year and over the summer months.

Public School District Operated School-Age Child Care and Remote Learning Enrichment Centers, operated by a public school, on a regular basis, that provide supervised group care for school-age children should register through this online form with the Department (DESE). A copy of the registration information for school districts and charter schools or collaboratives can be used to prepare information to enter online. Programming offered should be informed by and align with the Quality Standards for Public School Operated School-Age Child Care Programs and be in accordance with local school/district policy and procedure.

Development of Remote Learning Enrichment Centers. Communities returning to school with hybrid or fully remote learning models face increased need for supplemental support and supervision for school-aged children during the school day. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) have collaborated to develop policies in support of access to remote learning enrichment centers. The policies related to such centers operated by community-based programs can be found in the Joint Guidance from the Department of Early Education and Care and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education: Care Options for Hybrid and Remote Learning Models . Additional information is also available in an FAQ related to public-school operated remote learning enrichment centers. A recommended sliding fee scale for use with families earning up to 100% of State Median Income (SMI) is also available for public school districts that are considering charging for remote learning enrichment centers.

Last Updated: January 20, 2024