Stafford, Willington To Benefit From State After-School Program Grant

HARTFORD, CT — Gov. Ned Lamont and Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker this week announced that programs in Stafford and Willington will receive part of $5.3 million in state funding through the Connecticut State Department of Education’s After-School Grant Program to support 41 grants across 30 municipalities for expanding high-quality, after-school programs that provide academic supports and enrichment opportunities beyond the school day.

"Setting our students on a path to success often requires providing extra support beyond the school day, Lamont said. "High-quality after-school programs create opportunities for students to receive the additional academic and social supports they need to thrive."

The Willington public school system is receiving $55,000 for programs at Center Elementary School and Hall Middle School.

The Stafford public school system isa getting $127,900 for the program at Stafford Elementary School.

"After-school programs play a vital role in connecting students, families, and communities by providing meaningful engagement and improving academic achievement, school attendance, and student behavior, while also offering safe, enriching environments for students beyond the traditional school day," Russell-Tucker said. "These programs offer a wide range of enrichment activities to complement students’ classroom instruction, including tutoring, mentoring, academic enrichment in science and technology, community service opportunities, and activities in music, arts, athletics, health, and culture. These programs also benefit working families by offering a safe, structured environment for children during non-school hours."

The Connecticut State Department of Education selected recipients through a competitive process that evaluated each applicant’s ability to address local student needs, foster family and community engagement, provide academic enrichment, promote student wellness, and demonstrate effective program planning and organization.

Grant funds are awarded to the district or community-based organization as the fiscal agent. Each district or CBO determines how to allocate resources among participating sites based on student needs and program design.