ACPS Awarded Department of Education Grant to Support High-Need Students Outside of School
Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS) has been awarded a three-year grant from the Department of Education that will enable the school division and its partners to provide academic, social and emotional, and enrichment activities outside of school hours. The grant has been awarded in collaboration with non-profit housing developer Homes for America.
The 21st Century Community Learning Center will provide $179,271 annually to support ACPS students in need of additional support with intensive academic tutoring and homework help. This will include project-based learning opportunities, enrichment activities, field trips, and social and emotional support services.
The program will be based at Brent Place Apartments, an affordable housing community in Alexandria’s West End. It will serve students who reside at Brent Place and attend Patrick Henry Elementary School, William Ramsay Elementary School, Samuel Tucker Elementary School and John Adams Elementary School. The program will launch in October and will continue through the end of the 2019-20 school year.
“This is a terrific example of community collaboration in action. Through this program, we will be able to provide students in high-need areas of the City with the services and supports they need to be successful in school and in life. There is no doubt that this program will yield positive long-term benefits for our students, families and our community as a whole,” said Interim Superintendent Lois F. Berlin.
Students in kindergarten through grade five will have access to programming after-school each day and throughout the summer. Families of the participating students will also be offered a variety of onsite trainings designed to increase involvement in their child’s education and improve their overall quality of life.
“Homes for America is excited to continue our long standing partnership with ACPS and the many other service providers in the City. We look forward to being able to offer such a wonderful learning opportunity for the youth at Brent Place,” said Julie McCabe, Director of Resident Service Programs for Homes for America.
ACPS will be working in close collaboration with Homes for America and other community partners, including the Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS), the Literacy Council of Northern Virginia and Stop Child Abuse Now (SCAN) of Northern Virginia, and with the ACPS Family and Community Engagement Center (FACE) to provide services needed to support the Brent Place families.
DCHS will provide onsite wrap-around support for students and families, a weekly support group for parents and guardians, and workforce development training for adult family members. The Literacy Council of Northern Virginia will offer family literacy and English classes to families, while SCAN of Northern Virginia will provide a 14-week curriculum-based “Strengthening Families” training for families.
“We are delighted to receive this grant. The programming aligns directly with the ACPS 2020 goals of responding to the needs, interests and abilities of individual students and targeting opportunities to increase positive outcomes across race/ethnicity, income, disability and language subgroups. It also reinforces efforts outlined in the City of Alexandria’s Children and Youth Master Plan to align in-school and afterschool programs that deliver academic and social enrichment with school curriculum,” said Kurt Huffman, ACPS Director of School, Business and Community Partnerships.
Learn more information about the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Grant program.
