PRESS RELEASE
Three Crane Schools Receive Federal Grant to Fund Afterschool Programs
YUMA, AZ, July 1, 2021 – H.L. Suverkrup, Pueblo, and Valley Horizon Elementary Schools have each been awarded the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center (21st CCLC) grant, a Title IV-B program funded by a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Education and administered by the Arizona Department of Education. The purpose of the 21st CCLC Grant is to establish school site learning centers that provide students with standards-based academic enrichment classes and opportunities with targeted assistance in math, reading, and writing during out-of-school time, and that meaningfully engage adult family members in helping their children succeed academically.
The grant is designed to focus on student development in three key areas – Academic, Youth, and Family Engagement – with the objective of providing students with a complete support system for success. Along with supervised learning and enrichment opportunities, students participating in 21st CCLC programs are served in easily accessible environments, rely on safe transportation home from the program (in participating sites that require bus transportation), and provide before and after school snacks as well as school meals through the duration of the 21st CCLC summer program.
Both Pueblo Elementary and Valley Horizon Elementary are past recipients of the award and will be able to continue the progress they’ve been able to make with the help of the grant. Pueblo Principal, Bobbie Henry, shared that she is grateful to the grant for providing her school with another opportunity to continue their program. “Being awarded a 21st CCLC grant for a second time means the world to Pueblo families and students. This grant allows our students to participate in amazing afterschool clubs that promote critical thinking, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math), sports, fine arts, cooking and more while simultaneously helping students receive support in academic skill growth. Without this grant, Pueblo would not be able to offer these rich, disguised learning opportunities to our students and families.”
Likewise, Valley Horizon Principal, Ana Noriega, is looking forward to being able to expand her program. “Receiving a renewal to our 21st Century Community Learning Centers is so exciting. Our school community has benefited from this program and we are grateful to be able to continue for another five years. Thanks to the hard work of our coordinators, our students will engage in new science and engineering projects.”
The upcoming 2021-2022 school year marks the first time that H.L. Suverkrup Elementary will implement the 21st CCLC program. “We are so thankful to receive this grant for our students, community, and families. We are excited to offer some creative and innovative programs for our students,” said Suverkrup Principal, Trish Valentin.
All three schools will collaborate with community partners to provide students with the opportunity to learn new skills, apply real world problem-solving and skill use, and benefit from mentorships among local community members. The Humane Society of Yuma, Goldsboro Bakery, Kids at Hope, active service members from Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS), and KYMA reporters and crew have committed to sharing their expertise and experiences in this endeavor.
The Crane School District has two other sites that are currently funded through the 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant: Gary A. Knox Elementary and Salida del Sol Elementary.
The maximum period of grant funding for each site is 5 years, which amounts to a total of $1,620,000.00 for all three combined sites. For more information on the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, please visit: http://www.azed.gov/21stcclc/
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