The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) provides an unprecedented opportunity to support student learning and positive youth development. The ARRA contains a number of funding streams that could be used for afterschool and summer learning. 
 
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan has encouraged states to use ARRA funds to drive school reform. Secretary Duncan has urged innovative uses including extended learning time such as afterschool and summer learning. We’ve provided resources for afterschool and summer learning programs, school officials, and policymakers to learn more about the stimulus dollars and how to access them for afterschool and summer learning initiatives.

ARRA in General
The U.S. Department of Education has issued guidance including principles for spending the ARRA funds:

• Spend funds quickly to save and create jobs
• Improve student achievement through school improvement and reform
• Ensure transparency, reporting and accountability
• Invest one-time ARRA funds thoughtfully to minimize the "funding cliff"

Resources:

• U.S. Department of Education's Recovery website
• Afterschool Alliance’s Afterschool and Economic Recovery wiki
• The Finance Project brief, Preparing to Take Advantage of New Programs in the Economic Stimulus Package
• Georgia’s ARRA accountability website

ARRA Title I Education
Georgia’s schools will receive approximately $351 million in Title I education funds. School districts use these funds to support the academic achievement of students in high poverty schools. The federal guidance on Title I stimulus funds lays out how funds should be used.

Resources:

• The Finance Project brief, Using Title I to Support Out-of-School Time
• Georgia's Title I ARRA allocations by school district
• GAIC’s “How To” document for accessing Title I funds
• Georgia Department of Education stimulus website

ARRA Child Care and Development Block Grant
ARRA will provide approximately $82.8 million in federal Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) funds to support subsidized child care and afterschool for children up to age 13. This includes approximately $72 million for subsidies and $10.8 million for quality improvement initiatives, of which $4 million is to be used for infant and toddler programs. The federal Department of Health and Human Services has issued guidance on the use of these funds.

Resources:

• Overview and eligibility criteria for Georgia’s subsidized child care program (Childcare and Parent Services)
• GAIC’s recommendations on CCDBG stimulus funds

ARRA Summer Jobs for Youth - Expand Your Program's Workforce

Georgia has received $31 million to provide summer employment opportunities for youth ages 14-24. These funds have been distributed to local Workforce Investment Boards (WIBs) which are responsible for matching youth with summer workforce experiences. Click here to find out how to expand your program's workforce by employing WIA youth this summer.