Help for Contra Costa, Alameda Schools To Secure State Funds

Dec. 18, 2006 – Oakland, California - Seven community organizations providing after-school education programs in Contra Costa and Alameda counties will receive a total of $185,000 in grants just awarded by the East Bay Community Foundation.

The grants are part of the Foundation’s ongoing efforts to build the capacity of area after-school programs in order to ensure the East Bay gets its share of California Proposition 49 funds.  Passed by voters in 2002, Prop. 49 tripled state funding for after-school programs to $550 million from $121 million. The State Department of Education on Friday announced the latest rounds of Prop. 49 grants to schools, which includes more than 100 schools in Alameda County and more than 30 schools in Contra Costa County. ; For a full list of the schools, see http://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/r8/asesco506result.asp.

“After-school programs are a vital link in academic achievement, reducing youth violence and reaching youth-at-risk,” said Carla Dartis, the Foundation’s Vice President of Community Investment. ; “Our work on a number of fronts is aimed at ensuring East Bay school districts and community-based organizations can access Prop. 49 funds for after-school program improvements.”  School districts must apply for the funds and show their after-school programs are worthy.   According to Dartis, the Foundation has raised $358,000 from its donors and $100,000 from the Hewlett Foundation to support implementation of Prop. 49 in the East Bay.  By the end of January it expects to have made approximately $270,000 in Prop. 49-related grants from its own endowment and in partnership with its donors.  During the past nine months, it has also drawn almost 500 people to six education sessions for community-based organizations aimed at preparing them to work with East Bay School Districts to secure Prop. 49 funds.

During the next three years our goal is to directly leverage between $1 million and $3 million of Prop. 49 funds for East Bay school districts in need,” said Dartis.  “We are also aiming to strengthen capabilities of school districts and after-school program providers so they can access another $7 million of Prop. 49 funds themselves.

The seven grants awarded by the Foundation in December include:

1. $30,000 to the East County Boys and Girls Club of Contra Costa County to expand its after-school programming from two to five school sites so it serves a total of at least 430 students.
2. $30,000 to Oakland Youth Chorus to expand its after-school music programs to six schools in Oakland so it serves a total of at least 300 students. ;
3. $15,000 to After School 4 All to provide training and technical assistance to 25 new after-school programs in Contra Costa County.
4. $30,000 to Bay Area Community Resources to expand to 20 Oakland schools and an additional 800 students the after-school programs it currently offers at 10 schools.
5. $30,000 to Bay Area Partnership for Children and Youth to ensure 6-10 different school districts in Contra Costa and Alameda counties start up new Prop. 49-funded after school programs. ; ; 
6. $20,000 to Destiny Arts Center to expand its after-school programming to a minimum of 18 East Bay schools.
7. $30,000 to Museum of Children’s Art to expand after-school arts programming to five schools in Oakland and Concord, and provide arts-integrated professional development to 90 after-school program staff in Mt. Diablo Unified School District.

“Many East Bay schools and community-based programs were unaware of the funding opportunity,” said Dartis.  “This is of particular concern because of the possibility that all available Prop. 49 funds may be allocated in this round, which would mean that schools not applying in this round might be unable to access funding.”