PASCO, WA – Thanks to a new $1.5 million five-year grant, Educational Service District 123 is expanding our 21st Century Community Learning Center programming into Finley schools. Beginning with the new school year, ESD 123 will open two new sites as part of the 21st Century Cohort 15 at both Finley Elementary and Finley Middle School. This state-funded grant provides after-school support for students in kindergarten through 8th grade, while focusing on connecting families with schools and other resources.
After-school programing will include academic and enrichment activities, covering a range of needs from STEM education to social emotional learning, along with resource fairs and family engagement nights. The 21st CCLC program will work with the schools, families, and community to meet the specific needs of Finley students. In September, 21st Century Site Coordinators will survey families on their children’s needs and what they would like to see come from the program.
“We want to understand where the kids are coming from, and where their parents are coming from, in order to support them,” says Margarita Alaman, ESD 21st Century Program Director.
With a focus on providing holistic services, the 21st CCLC program will collaborate with the Benton Franklin Health District, other Kennewick agencies, and ESD services. These partnerships will enable better and more comprehensive support to Finley’s students and their families.
ESD 123 currently has nine 21st CCLC school and community sites operating across Kennewick, Benton City, Prosser, and Pasco. Both Mrs. Alaman and 21st Century Program Liaison Jocelyn Reyes Chavez are excited to expand into the Finley schools.
“There is great support for the program at Finley,” says Ms. Reyes Chavez. “The staff and the superintendent really helped fill in the gaps during the grant process.”
The Finley sites will open in September, with programs expected to begin late September or early October. For more information, contact ESD Director of Communications, Molly Curtiss, at 509.544.5787.
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About ESD 123: Educational Service District 123, based in Pasco, WA, is one of nine ESDs in Washington. Dedicated to delivering collaborative solutions that promote learning, ESD 123 serves 23 school districts in seven counties of Southeastern Washington. Under Superintendent Darcy Weisner and its board of directors, this legislatively mandated, not-for-profit educational organization provides efficiency of educational systems and equity of learning opportunities for over 70,000 Washington students. For more information about ESD 123, please call 509-544-5700 or 888-547-8441 or visit www.esd123.org.