CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Department of Education (WVDE) announces the 2021 Nita M. Lowery 21^st Century Community Learning Centers (21^st CCLC) Request for Proposals (RFP). Youth-serving organizations and local educational agencies are invited to apply for the funds which are used to design and implement afterschool programs in the state.  

The 21^st CCLC program provides students access to high-quality and engaging afterschool activities that support their learning and development and assist them in obtaining state educational standards. The funding is used to provide students with homework assistance, tutoring and a broad array of enrichment activities that complement their regular academic programs during out-of-school times. Additionally, this grant requires grantees to engage parents in their children’s learning. 

The target date for release of the RFP is February 2, 2022. It will be available at https://wvde.us/federal-programs/21st-cclc/ on that date. 

WVDE anticipates that new grantee awards will range from $50,000 to $220,000 per year for five years with funds decreasing in years four and five. The number and size of awards will depend on the availability of federal funds and the successful application score process of this highly competitive program. 

A Bidders’ Conference will be held virtually at 10 a.m. EST February 2, 2022. Its purpose is to describe the 21^st CCLC expectations and requirements. The 2021 RFP is currently available online at wvde.us/21st-cclc/overview-and-application-information/. Please bring any questions you may have to the Bidders’ Conference. To attend, register here.  

The recording of the conference will be made available on the WVDE 21^st CCLC website for viewing shortly after the conference. 

For details about the RFP process, contact Sherry Swint at sherry.swint@k12.wv.us, Christy Schwartz at cschwartz@k12.wv.us, or David Lee at david.lee@k12.wv.us or call 833-627-2833.