A $2.2 million education grant will allow elementary school pupils in Portland and Biddeford access to afterschool and summer programs to help improve academic success.
LearningWorks, a nonprofit organization that runs a number of programs for at-risk students, immigrants and low-income families, announced the five-year grant today. The grant will fund summer programs and afterschool programs at two Biddeford elementary schools and two Portland elementary schools.
The grant money is supplied through the federal Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Centers program and administered by the state Education Department.
The grants will extend the programming to 1,400 students.
The organization already operates afterschool programs for East End and Reiche schools.
“Research is clear that extending the learning day is crucial for students who are falling behind.” said Ethan Strimling, LearningWorks’ chief executive officer, in a written release.
Biddeford Assistant Superintendent Jeff Porter said the city has experienced cuts in Title I funding and has had to eliminate afterschool and summer programming. “This grant comes at just the right time,” he said.
The programs, which focus on science, technology, engineering and math, will launch with a four-week summer program in July and the afterschool programs will begin in September.
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