For more kids in Lakewood, the end of the school day won’t necessarily mean an end to the day’s knowledge pursuits. Thanks to a new grant, doors will open to students looking to get a little more out of their school day.
Communities In Schools of Lakewood (CISL) recently received a five-year 21st Century grant totaling more than $300,000 from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). CISL will use these funds to expand after-school, mentor, and family support programs at Tillicum Elementary School. Through the ‘Tillicum Community Learning Center’, or TCLC, students will be provided with math and reading support, field trips, an array of enrichment activities, structured recreation, and much more. But the youth aren’t the only beneficiaries; parents will also receive Love & Logic Parenting classes, English as a Second Language (ESL), and Civics courses–all provided by Pierce College.
The funding comes to Communities In Schools of Lakewood through OSPI’s 21st Century Community Learning Center program, an initiative that funded 11 grantees total in Washington. The initiative is projected to support 20 sites and provide out-of-school time programing to over 1,300 students and stands as the only federal funding source dedicated exclusively to afterschool programs.
“I am so excited the OSPI has selected Communities In Schools of Lakewood to coordinate the Center,” said Dave O’Keeffe, CISL Executive Director. Tillicum Principal, Taj Jensen, stated that he is “confident that great things will happen for kids and parents in the TCLC.”