The Facts About...21st-Century Learning

The Challenge: To give families—children and their parents—more out-of-school learning opportunities so they are better prepared for academic success.

The Solution: Develop centers that bring families and students together to learn new skills in an engaging and supportive environment.

HOW 21ST CENTURY COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS HELP

Children Are At Risk. Students who spend no time in extracurricular activities are 49 percent more likely to use drugs and 37 percent more likely to become teen parents than those who spend one to four hours per week in extracurricular activities.

Activity Helps Achievement. Nearly eight in 10 teens who participate in after-school programs are high-achieving students. Children and youths who regularly attend high quality, after-school programs have:

• better grades and conduct in school,
• more academic and personal growth opportunities,
• better peer relations and emotional adjustment, and
• lower incidences of drug-use, violence and pregnancy.

Under No Child Left Behind, 21st-Century Community Learning Centers provide expanded opportunities for children attending low-performing schools to improve academically and grow individually.

Tutorial services are designed to help students meet local and state academic standards in subjects such as reading and math. The following services are also offered:

• youth development activities,
• drug and violence prevention programs,
• technology education programs,
• art, music and recreation programs and
• counseling and character education.

In collaboration with other public and non-profit agencies, organizations, local businesses, post-secondary institutions, scientific, cultural and other community entities, approximately 6,800 rural and inner-city public schools in 1,420 communities are currently participating as 21st-Century Community Learning Centers.

The Resources: Congress has supported this initiative by appropriating $1 billion for after-school programs.

Download this fact sheet. (It is in PDF format.)

Back to Top   |   Return to What to Know   |   Read Next Article