ED Hosting Webinars This Week for Full-Service Community Schools Grant Applicants

Deadline to Apply is Sept. 12, 2022; $68 Million in Funds Slated to be Awarded

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 08/08/22

The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Elementary and Secondary Education will host several webinars this week to provide guidance to local and state education agencies and community-based organizations interested in applying for the Full-Service Community Schools grant program, which will award up to $68 million to approximately 40 applicants later this year.

The grant funds are intended to support the planning, implementation, and operation of full-service community schools that “improve the coordination, integration, accessibility, and effectiveness of services for children and families, particularly for children attending high-poverty schools, including high-poverty rural schools,” ED said.

Matching funds will be required from grantees, which may be partially covered with in-kind contributions, according to the grant application announcement on the Federal Register website. An overview of the FSCS program can be downloaded at the OESE website.

A full-service community school is defined by ED as “a public elementary or secondary school that uses established partnerships between schools and community organizations to provide well-rounded educational opportunities and meet the social, emotional, physical and mental health, and academic needs of students” and that:

1. Participates in a community-based effort to coordinate and integrate educational, developmental, family, health, and other comprehensive services through community-based partnerships; and
2. Provides access to such services in schools to students, families, and the community, such as access during the school year (including before- and after-school hours and weekend), as well as during the summer.

Live webinars scheduled this week for potential applications include:

• For state education agencies: Zoom webinar starting at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Aug. 9. No pre-registration required.
• For local education agencies and school districts: Zoom webinar starting at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2 p.m. ET. No pre-registration required.
• For community-based organizations: Thursday, Aug. 11 at 1 p.m. ET. Registration in advance is required.

The deadline to apply for the FSCS grants is Sept. 12, 2022. Potential applicants are encouraged, but not required, to notify the department of their plans to apply by Aug. 12 by emailing [email protected] with “Intent To Apply” as the subject line.

What does a Full-Service Community School Look Like?

A FSCS “provides comprehensive academic, social, and health services for students, students’ family members, and community members that will result in improved educational outcomes for children,” ED said. Examples of such services ED listed include the following:

• High-quality early learning programs and service
• Accelerated learning aligned with academic supports and other enrichment activities, providing students with a comprehensive academic program
• Family engagement, including parental involvement, parent leadership, family literacy, and parent education programs
• Mentoring and other youth development programs
• Community service and service learning opportunities
• Programs that provide assistance to students who have been chronically absent, truant, suspended, or expelled
• Job training and career counseling services
• Nutrition services and physical activities
• Primary health and dental care
• Activities that improve access to and use of social service programs and programs that promote family financial stability; mental health services
• Adult education, including instruction of adults in English as a second language

Details on the grant program’s Absolute Priorities and competitive preferences can be found at the Federal Register application announcement page.

Applicants can also find more guidance and examples of successful applications from prior years at the FSCS resources page on ED’s website.