21st Century Community Learning Centers

Founded in 1938, Carver was an early leader in the national movement of providing students support after school. Once Carver expanded beyond its community center into Norwalk’s schools, Carver began to receive very competitive 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grants.

This is the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to support local after-school, before-school, and summer learning programs. In 2001, the U.S. Congress expanded the 21st Century program through the No Child Left Behind Act from $40 million to $1 billion.

This downloadable fact sheet is a great primer on who is served and key outcomes of local programs such as Carver.

With NCLB, Congress also changed how 21st Century grants were distributed. Rather than give money directly to schools, the program began distributing funds to states. The amount of money allocated to each state is now based on the percentage of schools within a state that qualify as Title I schools (schools where at least 40 percent of the students are from families living below the poverty line). The states then determine how the funds are distributed to schools and to nonprofit organizations like Carver.

21st CCLC funding enables Carver to provide students with unique opportunities they might not otherwise have access to, including STEM opportunities, college and career exploration, workforce development, and social and emotional supports. 21st CCLC helps Carver to close opportunity and achievement gaps for our students.

Carver kids are able to engage in hands-on activities, watch spectacular demonstrations, take home educational science-themed creations that reinforce the concepts they've learned, and learn new life-long skills like yoga.

This important funding enables Carver to prepare 5th-grade students at four Norwalk elementary schools for what they will experience in middle school. Our 5th-grade transition students are assigned to a homeroom which they attend following the school’s afternoon dismissal bell. Students then have a healthy snack and get ready for the Carver experience. Study hall and homework are first.

Then our students explore all manner of enrichment opportunities that both interest them and that open their minds and expand their abilities. Within each elective session, students are breaking barriers by completing challenges, enhancing skills, and building teamwork abilities.  The students make presentations of their work later in the school year. These academic and enrichment experiences complement what the students are learning during the school day.

Carver is proud to report on the results we are achieving with these grants our state education leaders entrust us with.