(Oct. 9, 2014) The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $4.7 million to nine partnerships to help improve the quality of elementary and secondary education and bolster community-wide, comprehensive services for students, families and their communities. The Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) program supports partnerships between schools, school districts, and community-based and nonprofit organizations.
Three of this year’s grantees will support Promise Zones, a federal interagency initiative that aligns a range of resources to build ladders of opportunity in economically distressed areas across the country. The 2014 FSCS program was among the first programs to include a focus on Promise Zones. Of the five current Promise Zones designations, the three supported by FSCS are the Youth Policy Institute (Los Angeles, California), Berea College (Berea, Kentucky), and the San Antonio Independent School District (San Antonio, Texas).
“Across the nation, we’ve seen schools come together to partner with key organizations to support comprehensive services for students and their families in some of our toughest communities,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “Great schools require the entire community to work together, and these grants will help leverage our resources to create a range of wraparound services that help all students grow in the classroom, and graduate ready for college and their careers.”
The FSCS program began in 2008, and funds comprehensive academic, social and health services to improve educational outcomes for children. To date, the program has awarded over $50 million to more than 20 communities across 13 states, serving approximately 150,000 students in more than 60 schools.
Today’s awards were selected from a pool of 147 applications, reflecting schools’ strong commitment to providing students a range of supports. These grantees represent nine states, 26 schools and 76 partnering organizations. The first year awards are for up to $500,000 with additional years subject to Congressional appropriations. Additional information on the Full Service Community Program and the 2014 winners is available here.
Click here for the Department of Education press release that includes a list of the nine grantees, with their locations and grant amounts.
Cross-posted from the ED Homeroom Blog.
