21st CCLC Youth Gain Life and Work Skills


By URSULA HELMINSKI Posted: Jun 29, 2023

Parents and youth alike value the opportunities that afterschool and summer programs offer to develop life and work skills, such as teamwork, problem-solving, decision-making, and communications, as well as exposure to career paths. In a fall 2022 survey, 88 percent of parents said that afterschool programs providing opportunities for young people to develop foundational skills, like communication, teamwork, and problem solving, are important.

Over the past 25 years of the 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) initiative, providers have developed an expertise at offering such opportunities. 21st CCLC is the only federal funding stream solely dedicated to supporting local afterschool and summer programs; funds are awarded via grant competitions run by state education agencies. Today, we’re taking a look at a few programs supported by the 21st CCLC initiative that offer students opportunities and experiences that are helping them thrive in school and beyond.   

At the Lathrop After the Bell program in Fairbanks, Alaska, high school students benefit from strong college and career readiness support. In addition to offering daily tutoring and test preparation, the program provides students with access to a variety of STEAM-based enrichment courses, allowing them to explore their interests and passions. During "LAB time" students receive help in developing resumes, filling out job applications, practicing interview skills, and applying for colleges, tech, or trade schools with the help of a school counselor.

Since first serving high school students in 2004-05, the program has continually grown and evolved to meet the needs and interests of their teens. They have strengthened their partnership with their local university to provide students the opportunity to connect with college students, learned about student interests and passions to incorporate them into the curriculum, and put on career readiness workshops with local leaders. 

The impact of the program has been significant, with an increase in academic achievement and improved behavior over time. In fact, more than half of regular program attendees at Lathrop High School improved on state assessments in math (51 percent) and reading (59 percent), and 57 percent of students who had below-average attendance rates the prior year increased their attendance

In Michigan City, Indiana, the Safe Harbor 21st CCLC program starts STEM exposure early, and builds upon those skills at older ages.  At the elementary level, the program offers afterschool manufacturing academies where youth learn about engineering, how to use the program’s machinery, and how to utilize their problem-solving skills to identify and solve problems. By the time they reach high school, students are well-versed in basic STEM skills, allowing them to take part in more advanced projects. In addition to programming focused on carpentry and woodworking, horticulture, 3D printing, and web design and engineering, high schoolers have the opportunity to take part in an Entrepreneurial Academy. 

In the 2019-20 school year, 89 percent of K-6th grade regular program participants at one elementary school maintained or improved their English language arts (ELA) from fall to spring, and 91 percent maintained or improved their math grade. Teachers reported that 75 percent improved classroom behavior and “getting along well with others”. These results were similar across other elementary, middle, and high school programs.

By providing access to STEM curriculum, career readiness resources, and other enrichment opportunities, these programs help to ensure that young people have the skills and knowledge they need to succeed today, and in the future.