As Montana students and families work to recover from the adverse impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Montana Afterschool Grant seeks to support and empower young learners across the state through a coordinated, comprehensive, and consistent community approach. The pandemic has exposed and exacerbated the personal and academic challenges many Montana students face. Helping them overcome those challenges requires not only the efforts of Montana educators within the confines of a school day but also the efforts of student-focused afterschool programming. The Montana Afterschool Grant is an opportunity to address students’ personal and academic needs, ensure parents and guardians are able to rejoin the workforce, and ultimately continue to strengthen Montana communities. The grant seeks to:
- Provide Montana students with a comprehensive, out-of-school time experience that builds upon a student’s formal school day instruction to provide the continuity necessary to meet their academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Provide Montana students a safe and healthy environment after school employing practices to prevent COVID exposure to students.
- Provide Montana students and their families with a deeper connection to their community allowing them to understand the full breadth of supports and opportunities available to them.
Expand and enhance afterschool programs throughout the State.
GOAL 1: Expand daily/weekly afterschool services to increase the amount of academic, social, emotional, and mental health support available to students as they navigate the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
- A minimum 40 hours per month and/or demonstrated ability to meet community needs.
- Providers partner together to maximize contact hours with students.
- Increase services explicitly dedicated to social, emotional, and mental health needs so students are better able to engage in academic enrichment opportunities provided by afterschool providers and LEAs.
GOAL 2: Providers will expand daily/weekly after-school service capacity or “footprint” to more students and increase accessibility for at-risk student populations to engage in after-school supports.
- Providers partner together to maximize contact hours with students.
- New providers partner with established programs to build a sustainable model of after-school supports for students.
- Recommend providers eliminate engagement barriers such as fees, transportation, etc.
The Montana Afterschool Grant is made possible through Federal ESSER funds originated in the American Rescue Plan. The grant is a three-year grant that is renewed annually and adjusted to reflect actual grant usage and impact. The state will be utilizing its E-Grants
Management System for budget and cash management purposes and will also be provided a system to manage reporting requirements.
Grant Awards
OPI will be distributing $3.8 million over three years. Awards will be given based on an allocation formula that considers program location, students served, and community need met. Grant amounts will vary based on the number of applicants, but the OPI anticipates that minimum grant award will be at least $25,000 and likely will increase from there based on number of applications and the allocation formula considerations.
Timeline
Approximately, October 22, 2021 – Grant Intent-to-Apply Form Available on OPI website
Approximately, November 12, 2021 – Intent-to-Apply Form Due
Approximately, November 19, 2021 – Grant Application Available on E-grants
Approximately, December 10, 2021 – Grant Applications Due in E-grants
Approximately, December 22, 2021 – Awarded funds available for draw down
August 1, 2022 – Award renewal due with data report
August 1, 2023 – Award renewal due with data report
September 30, 2024 – All allocated funds must be obligated
November 11, 2024 – All allocated funds must be expensed