2024-2025 Out-of-School Time Grants in Michigan

The Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential (MiLEAP) is offering $57 million in grant funds for in-person before-school, after-school, before-and-after-school, and/or summer programming for children in grades K-12. This initiative aligns with MiLEAP's mission to prioritize education from preschool through postsecondary, focusing on kindergarten readiness and helping individuals earn skills or degrees for good-paying jobs. The grant specifically supports Out-of-School Time (OST) Programs that provide educational programming in core subjects such as mathematics, reading, and science. The target beneficiaries are children in grades K-12. The impact goals are to improve school attendance, academic outcomes, attitudes toward school, positive behaviors, skill development and retention, and higher education aspirations, as well as to enhance family engagement. MiLEAP's strategic priority is to prepare children for kindergarten and help more people earn a skill certificate or degree, and this grant directly contributes to that by funding programs that offer expanded learning opportunities and academic enrichment. The grant prioritizes the expansion of existing programs, establishment of new programs, hands-on academic enrichment, field trips, professional learning, and the development of school-community partnerships. It also supports expanded learning opportunities in areas like mentoring, leadership, community engagement, agriculture, visual and performing arts, financial literacy, STEM, health and wellness, recreation, career and college exploration, youth voice, 21st-century skills, social-emotional learning, and cultural engagement. Expected outcomes include measurable improvements in areas such as improved school attendance and academic performance, enhanced positive behaviors and skill development, and increased aspirations for higher education. The grant's theory of change posits that by investing in comprehensive OST programming that addresses both academic and social-emotional needs, children will be better prepared for academic success and future career opportunities, thereby contributing to MiLEAP's broader goal of lifelong education and advancement.