Summer Learning Programs: Difference between revisions

The '''Summer Learning Programs''', rooted in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, the National School Lunch Act of 1946, and formalized under the 21st Century Community Learning Centers Act of 2001, are administered by the Department of Education (ED) through its Office of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) through its Food and Nutrition Service to provide grants and subsidies to schools, community organizations, and nonprofits, allocating over $30 billion since inception to support approximately 2.5 million students annually by 2025. Initially funded with $50 million for combined 21CCLC and SFSP efforts, it has grown to distribute $2 billion in FY 2024 across 15,000 grants and meal sites, funding programs like STEM camps, literacy workshops, and free meals at community centers, schools, and parks nationwide.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.ed.gov/programs/21stcclc/summerlearning.html |title=Summer Learning through 21st CCLC |publisher=U.S. Department of Education}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fns.usda.gov/sfsp |title=Summer Food Service Program |publisher=U.S. Department of Agriculture}}</ref> Despite its impact, challenges like funding competition, limited rural access, and program coordination persist (web ID: 6), but it remains a cornerstone of ED and USDA efforts to support student success and nutrition.

==Goals==