21st Century Community Learning Centers

  • The Anchorage School District, a recipient of two 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grants from the United States Department of Education, currently provides after-school enrichment programs for K-8 students in core academics - homework help, tutoring, drug and abuse prevention, technology training, recreation and the arts at 10 public school facilities.

    The purpose of the 21st CCLC is to expand learning opportunities for children and their families outside of regular school hours. These programs offer strong after-school activities, which involve both schools and the community, joining together to help kids develop into healthy adults.

    Our 21st CCLC after-school programs work with public and nonprofit agencies and organizations; local businesses; higher education institutions; recreational, cultural and human services organizations to:

    • Prepare kids for success in today's economy
    • Provide opportunities to try new skills, learn different ways of approaching challenges with creative solutions, work on tough subjects and achieve success

    Eligible students participate in programs whose goal is to increase academic success in reading, writing and math. The Anchorage Community Education Learning Centers offer a structured supportive environment.

Program Locations

  • Table showing which coordinators service which schools.
    Schools Coordinator Office Phone Cell Phone
    Alaska Native Cultural Charter School Martin Leonard 907-742-0130 907-310-4580
    Fairview Elementary School Monica Ratliff 907-742-7695 907-310-4870
    Lake Otis Elementary School Kenneth Kuykendall 907-742-7406 907-310-4555
    Mountain View Elementary School Stephanie Garrett 907-742-3938 907-310-4503
    Muldoon Elementary School Leah Schilling 907-742-1491 907-310-4501
    Ptarmigan Elementary School James Hobson 907-742-0444 907-310-4544
    Russian Jack Elementary School Erin Moriearty 907-742-1303 907-310-4059
    Tyson Elementary School Kit Greene 907-742-8033 907-538-7696
    Willow Crest Elementary School Brittany Hoskins 907-742-9938 907-310-4108
    Wonder Park Elementary School Daniel Buitrago 907-742-1730 907-310-4803

     

What Do Students Do After the School Bell Rings?

  • A growing number of youth in Anchorage spend the hours between when school closes and parents return from work unproductively — watching television, surfing the net, hanging out with friends, and sometimes getting into trouble.

    • ‌Juvenile crime triples from 3-8 p.m. and peaks from 3-4 p.m. during the hours after school
    • 28% of U.S. children live with a single working parent or two working parents
    • Between 5 and 7 million, possibly as many as 15 million, "latchkey children" are home alone after school
    • The most common activity for children after school is watching TV - on average 23 hours a week

    Turning the after-school hours into a time when kids take on new challenges, learn new things, and find new ways to contribute to their communities, keeps kids on the path to achievement, which is the primary goal of the 21st Century Community Learning Center program.

What Do After-School Programs Do For Students?

  • The after-school program provides supervised activities, including homework assistance, arts and crafts, and recreation each weekday from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at all elementary sites. The program is open to students in kindergarten through eighth grade in selected schools.

    Children who regularly attend quality programs have:

    • Better grades and conduct in school
    • Better peer relations and emotional adjustment
    • More academic and enrichment opportunities
    • Students who spend 1-4 hours per week in extracurricular activities are 49% less likely to use drugs and 37% less likely to become teen parents

    Already in Anchorage, students who attend the after-school program:

    • have made academic gains
    • are feeling safer 
    • are turning in their homework more often 
    • like school more 
    • are less likely to participate in non-supervised activities

    In Anchorage, teachers report that students are doing better in school. Parents are thrilled to be able to spend quality time with their children in the evening, because their homework is done with help from tutors in the after-school program.