PROGRAM PURPOSE

Texas Southmost College’s Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers, in partnership with Brownsville ISD and funded by the U.S. Department of Education, is a five-year grant program (2018-2023) that supports the creation of community learning centers that provide academic enrichment opportunities during non-school hours for children, particularly students who attend high-poverty and low-performing schools.

The program, also known as Texas Afterschool Centers on Education (ACE), helps students meet state and local student standards in core academic subjects, such as reading, mathematics, science, and social studies; offers students a broad array of enrichment activities that can complement their regular academic programs; and offers literacy and other educational services to the families of participating children.

The program is grounded on the theory of change that students most in need of academic assistance who spend 45 or more days in a well-structured afterschool program will yield improvement in academic performance, attendance, behavior, promotion, and graduation rates.