More than $3 million in federal funding is now available for summer 2023 educational enrichment programs that address student learning loss due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and service providers can apply.
Program providers can apply until January 9, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. on the website www.SMCStrong.orgFunds will be distributed in March 2023. Grants will range from $15,000 to $100,000 depending on how many school-aged children – kindergarten through 12th grade – are currently served.
Two types of summer enrichment program providers can apply for a grant:
1) Local government and school district providers that offer programs for youth with annual family incomes of less than 80 percent of the area median income.
2) Local non-profit and for-profit businesses that provide enrichment programs to this same youth population.
All funded programs will revitalize student learning and promote emotional well-being. Additionally, grant program organizers encourage programs that provide meals, mental health services, and transportation to apply. Programs that will give local workers the opportunity to enter or remain in youth-serving jobs are also encouraged to apply.
This is the second round of the Board of Supervisors funded Summer Enrichment Scholarships.
Notably, the Board approved $3 million in funding for this second round after hearing the results of a third-party evaluation of the 2022 program. That evaluation showed that the majority of the 6,767 students participating in programs supported by the 2022 Summer Enrichment Grants significantly increased their social skills and development last summer.
Applicants must, among other criteria, be located in and serve San Mateo County youth, be operational by summer 2023, provide at least 4 weeks ‒20 days‒ of summer enrichment programming, and offer at least 4 hours of programming per day.
In turn, it must serve school-aged children ‒TK-12th grade‒, while school district programs must primarily serve socially and economically disadvantaged youth ‒SED‒, while nonprofit organizations must attest to having experienced negative economic impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic and provide summer enrichment programs for SED youth.
Similarly, local small businesses must attest to having experienced negative economic impacts due to the COVID-19 pandemic, have 25 or fewer full-time employees, and provide summer enrichment programs to SED youth.
Applicants will be selected based on a weighted score that includes the communities they will serve, plans to serve more students by adding spaces and/or hours, whether they offer other supports for students and families, and whether they can hire additional staff and/or will use the grant to increase staff salaries.
For a complete list of application and scoring criteria and to submit an application, interested parties may visit the website https://www.smcstrong.org/apply-for-funding.
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