New Jersey Afterschool Program - Competitive (NJ) Grant

The New Jersey Afterschool Program - Competitive aims to enhance out-of-school time (OST) programs across New Jersey by engaging youth in high-quality activities. This initiative seeks to improve college and career readiness and foster positive behavior among students aged 5-18. Eligible applicants include public and private 501(c)(3) organizations with proven afterschool programs, emphasizing academic support, career exploration, and community service, ensuring a focus on low-income families.

Purpose
The New Jersey Afterschool Summer Program is open to eligible applicants willing to expand existing out-of-school time (OST) programs to offer high-quality, engaging activities to youth throughout New Jersey. It is expected that these programs will increase students’ career and college readiness and increase positive student behavior while engaging parents/guardians. The applicant must enhance educational experiences for students between the ages of five and 18 years old by providing targeted activities in at least one of the following areas:

• academic support; intervention and/or enrichment in any subject area; career exploration; or community service.

The New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) has established a six-month grant program. This limited-competitive grant program is open to any national or statewide public or private 501(c)(3) youth-serving organization and Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grantees not funded for the current academic year, excluding non-public schools, but limited to those that:
have implemented an afterschool program that has been evaluated and demonstrated positive results via an external evaluation, data entered into the state reporting system PARS21, or the federal reporting system 21APR; and
have at least four years’ experience operating an OST program; andcurrently operate an afterschool or summer enrichment program serving New Jersey youth from low-income families.
Grantees who did not adhere to the NJDOE reporting requirements and deadlines in accordance with the 21st CCLC and/or NJASP NGO are not eligible to apply. In addition, grantees or previous grantees requiring a corrective action plan and/or non-compliant with 21st CCLC and/or NJASP grant requirements are not eligible to apply.