General Assembly 21st CCLC Community Learning Centers
General Assembly Funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) RFP Update
The release of the General Assembly Funded (GAF) 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Request For Proposals (RFP) is contingent upon the availability of funds. Updates will be posted here.
About GAF 21st CCLC Community Learning Centers
The GAF 21st Century Community Learning Centers program supports the creation of opportunities for academic enrichment during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools. The program helps students meet state and local standards in core academic subjects, such as reading and mathematics; offers students enrichment activities that complement regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.
The 2024 General Assembly Session included a state appropriation to supplement the 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs that serve Virginia students and their families. These funds are designated for General Assembly Funded recipients and are intended to support Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) that partner with school divisions to provide before- and after-school programming.
All funding is contingent upon the continued availability of appropriations from the General Assembly. These are one-year grants, with the potential for renewal based on the availability of future funding.
GAF Students and Family Members Served
From 2023 to 2024, an allocated portion of a $3 million investment supported services for 1,083 students and their families, resulting in a cost of $2,770 per participant. In 2024–2025, $2 million supported 1,600 students, reducing the cost to $1,250 per student. This reflects a 55% decrease in cost per student while increasing the number of students served by 48%.
GAF continues to serve high-need communities with measurable academic gains, while strengthening school-community partnerships across the state.
Grantee Self-Reported Program Outcomes:
- Academic Gains: Grantees reported up to 70% improvement in math and literacy among students in grades 4–8 and 9–12.
- Early Literacy Progress: According to reading assessment data from the Virginia Language and Literacy Screening System (VALLSS), 38% of second graders transitioned to a lower level of reading risk.
- Targeted Literacy Impact: Grantees reported a 72% improvement in literacy outcomes, highlighting the effectiveness of targeted interventions.
- Math Achievement: NWEA math scores showed that 81% of elementary students participating in GAF programs demonstrated measurable improvement.
- Family Engagement: Grantees reported that 40% of parents with children enrolled in the GAF Program attended at least two family engagement events.
- School Day Attendance: Grantees reported that 70% of the students in grades 1-12 participating 90 hours or more in the 21st CCLC program who had a school-day attendance rate at or below 90% in the prior school year will demonstrate an improved attendance rate in the current school year.
Application Process
All GAF 21st CCLC grants are awarded on a competitive basis and are contingent on the availability of funds. VDOE will give priority to applications that meet any or all of the following criteria:
- Joint applications between a Community Based Organization and a school or school division;
- Propose to serve students in schools that are either Priority Schools, Conditionally Accredited Reconstituted or Accreditation Denied for the current school year;
- Proposals to serve students in elementary schools; or
- Proposals to serve students who attend schools with free and reduced-price lunch eligibility of 75 percent or greater.
Continuation Application
The purpose of the continuation application is to ensure that grantees are:
- managing grant funds awarded;
- operating programs in compliance with regulatory requirements;
- making satisfactory progress towards meeting the goals and objectives stated in the original approved application;
- making progress toward meeting Virginia's performance indicators for 21st CCLC grant programs. The information reported in the continuation application must reflect the information stated in the approved application, unless changed by amendments approved by the Department of Education.
VDOE and GAF 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) Staff and Assignments
Financial Information
Financial Management – Budget Transfers and Reimbursements
- Entities serving as the fiscal agent for a grant are to submit budget transfer requests and reimbursements via the Virginia Department of Education’s Online Management of Education Grant Awards (OMEGA) system. OMEGA user set up forms with instructions, a detailed User’s Guide, and access to online training opportunities are available at OMEGA. Click on “SSWS Instructions” in the upper right-hand corner to open a PDF file containing a SSWS access guide.
- The OMEGA Users Guide is located by logging into SSWS, clicking on the application "Online Management of Education Grant Awards (OMEGA)", then clicking on the “Help” link in the upper right hand corner, then click on the User's Guide (PDF).
Forms
- Record of Inventory(XLS)
- Record of Inventory Labels (Word)
Resources
VDOE Resources
External Organizations
- External Organizations List (Word)