November 22, 2021

Whether you’re a community member looking to learn more about 21^st CCLCs, a potential out-of-school time grantee wanting to write a high-quality grant proposal, a new grantee hoping to design the best possible program, or a seasoned 21^st CCLC program director looking for ways to improve communication with stakeholders, you’ll be better positioned for success with a firm understanding of the basics. Y4Y is proud to announce a fresh update of the Introduction to Nita M. Lowey 21st CCLC Grant Program course, complete with new, helpful features. To get past the surface for a deep dive into program development, we can all benefit from starting at square one.

As before, the Introduction section of the course takes about 2 hours to complete and provides a Basic Level certificate of completion. It provides an overview of 21^st CCLC programs — including their benefits, history and community impact in Chapter 1 and legislation and grant preparation in Chapter 2. The Implementation Strategies section moves you beyond square one with an Advanced Level certificate of completion. It takes 5 to 7 hours. Through 11 key strategies, this section goes deeper into grant preparation, planning and designing a high-quality 21^st CCLC program, and incorporating all the relevant legislation in these processes.

The Coaching My Staff section takes about an hour to complete. You’ll get a Leadership Level certificate of completion and a solid training plan for your staff. Important updates to this section mean that program leaders can connect with the most up-to-date Y4Y content to meet their team’s specific training needs. Be sure to check out this new training needs assessment.

A brand-new feature with this course is a recorded Training to Go that covers 21^st CCLC basics for frontline staff. While Y4Y has always offered downloadable and customizable PowerPoint presentations for in-person or virtual interactive trainings, this new alternative format helps you focus on facilitating meaningful interactions rather than presenting content.

Nationwide, decisions and resource allocation are centered on learning acceleration to make up lost classroom time and teaching caused by the pandemic. Your 21^st CCLC program is recognized to be a central player in this effort. By revisiting the very basis and basics of this federal funding stream at square one with Y4Y, you’ll gain a new appreciation for the work ahead.