By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Students and families at four elementary schools in Pasco will benefit from after-school programming and extracurricular learning experiences thanks to $2.5 million 21^{������}Century Community Learning Center grant to Washington State University Tri-Cities.

The school program, supported by the five-year grant, provides students with homework help and access to programs including LEGO Robotics, drama, chess, archery, Minecraft, field trips, fire safety, rocketry and English language learning. Schools also provide a four-week summer program focusing on the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

This is ���سԹ�’ third time receiving a 21^st Century Community Learning Center grant from the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Each grant received by ���سԹ� has served a different cohort of students.

The four Pasco schools to benefit from the new grant include Mark Twain Elementary School, Marie Curie Elementary School, Captain Grey Elementary School and Robert Frost Elementary School. The other grants awarded to ���سԹ� through the program also served Pasco schools.

The program aims to achieve four goals:

• Increase academic achievement among target students in reading and math.
• Provide high-quality learning opportunities that lead to increased positive student behavior among target students.
• Increase parent literacy levels and opportunities for educational development.
• Increase the number of community partners who collaborate with the program.

“���سԹ� can provide services to students in the community beginning at third-grade, and continue to engage students through their sixth-grade year,” said Jay Scott, director of the 21^stCentury Community Learning Centers program. “If the university continues to receive grants in the future, we can put new grants in place in the high schools and re-enter the middle schools, allowing ���سԹ� to potentially create a pipeline of STEM-ready students.”

In addition to supporting students at the elementary schools, the program also stands to benefit preservice teachers in the education program at ���سԹ�.

“Students wishing to pursue the elementary education degree at ���سԹ� can use the experience to gain exposure to classroom life and to work with students in the after school program,” Scott said.

Scott said he plans to work with the grant’s principal investigator, Kate McAteer, assistant vice chancellor of academic affairs, to develop a partnership with ���سԹ� students so that they can work in the 21^st Century Community Learning Center programs to gain real-world experience in the classroom.

���سԹ� was one of 10 proposals accepted for the grant program and received the highest funding award allotment allowed by the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

“I am confident we are changing students’ lives for the better in the schools where we serve,” Scott said. “I am proud of all of the accomplishments my staff have achieved thus far. We want to achieve more during the 2018-19 school year. We know that if we are successful, then the students and the families we serve will be successful.”

 

Contacts:

• Jay Scott, director of 21^st Century Community Learning Centers, 509-222-7000 x5794, jscott@earlyoutreach.wsu.edu
• Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, maegan_murray@wsu.edu

By Maegan Murray, ���سԹ�

RICHLAND, Wash. – Washington State University Tri-Cities, in partnership with the Pasco School District, was awarded a $500,000 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program grant to enhance before and after school programming at several elementary schools in Pasco.

The purpose of the federal grant is to support the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during nonschool hours. The program also provides support to families to increase family literacy and involvement within the school.

“This award is especially exciting because there were only nine grants awarded within the entire state, and this grant had one of the highest dollar amounts awarded,” said Jay Scott, director of 21st Century Community Learning Centers.

Funds will support enhancing before and after school programming at Emerson Elementary School, Longfellow Elementary School, Rowena Chess Elementary School and Virgie Robinson Elementary School, all of which are in the Pasco School District.

Some examples of topics that could be implemented in the after school programs include: drama, chess, homework help, LEGO Robotics, archery, Minecraft, field trips, fire safety, rocketry and English language learning programs. The schools also will provide a four-week summer program focusing on the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.
“All of these programs would provide additional extracurricular and supplemental support for current classroom curriculum focuses,” Scott said.

���سԹ� will provide the space for summer programming for all four sites, in addition to providing general oversight of the programming and grant funding use and allocation.

Contacts:
Jay Scott, director, WSU 21st Century Community Learning Centers, jscott@earlyoutreach.wsu.edu
Maegan Murray, ���سԹ� public relations specialist, 509-372-7333, Maegan.murray@tricity.wsu.edu