Welcome to the Afterschool Enrichment Grant program, designed to enhance the quality and impact of afterschool programs through targeted funding opportunities. These grants support various initiatives that can transform your program and create meaningful experiences for students.
The enrichment grants are specifically designed to supplement and enhance existing programs, not supplant or replace current funding. You are allowed to apply for multiple enhancement package types. There will be an option to copy your answers on subsequent applications. Before applying, please be sure to read the 2024-25 ARPA Afterschool Enrichment Grant Guidance found at the blue button below.
Please use the accordian section below to review the specific requirements and documentation needed for each enhancement package. When you are ready to apply, please click on the Apply Now button to create your account and start the application process.
Most of the Enhancement Packages have two parts: 1) Payment by MASN to the program to cover costs for staff time, extra supplies/materials, etc. and 2) Payment by MASN to the enhancement provider to pay for the actual consulting, training, equipment, etc. **
For example, if you receive a grant for materials from STEMfinity, MASN will pay STEMfinity for the STEM kit materials that you select in consultation with them, and your program will receive the payment of $2000 for training time, consumable supplies (not in the kit), batteries, etc. You can choose to use these funds now additional materials beyond those included from STEMfinity or you might choose to save some of the funds for replacement items later. Either way, you only pay STEMfinity if you choose to purchase more than the STEM kit that you co-create with your STEMfinity consultant.
** A few packages do not have an enhancement partner and the funds sent to your program are to pay expenses directly (e.g., staffing, MOSAC, NAA, bus routes).
NEW – In some situations, afterschool programs may want the product or service, but would prefer not to have the extra payment to the program. This might happen if your district/administration doesn’t want the additional paperwork to receive the check. If that is the case, you can indicate in the application that you do not want the check and we can have the enhancement partner still work with you, but without doing the paperwork for your check.
Not everyone who was eligible for the Summer Enrichment grants will be eligible for the Afterschool Enrichment grant. Specifically, to be eligible for the Afterschool Enrichment grant, you must operate an Afterschool Program that meets criteria and definitions of used with federal funding sources (21st CCLC and SAC grants) and/or SB 1111. These criteria include serving students only school age children age 5 or above, at least 2-3 hours per day between 7am-6pm for a minimum of at least 4 days per week and 12 hours per week throughout the majority of the school year.
Don’t meet the requirements? If you would like more information about why you qualified for a summer enrichment grant, but not the afterschool enrichment grant, please watch this detailed recording.
2024/2025 ARPA Afterschool Enrichment Grants
Afterschool Enrichment Grant funding can be requested to pay for additional staff that work directly with children, but not counted in ratio. The additional adults could be paraprofessionals working with children with special needs, academic tutors, art/music/drama specialists that provide specialized activities, 4-H staff visiting the program weekly, etc.
Enhancement funds cannot be used to add staff counted in ratio or staff that do not work directly with the children/youth in the program (e.g., office staff, curriculum coordinators, etc.)
Requests for enhancement staff support will be available in increments:
- 2-4 hours/wk (at least 72 hours per year) – $2000
- 5-8 hours/wk (at least 180 hours per year) – $5000
- 9-12 hours/wk (at least 324 hours per year) – $8000
- 13+ hours/wk (at least 468 hours per year) – $10,000
The hours at each site can be applied to mulitple individuals. For example, if you are adding a piano teacher (2 hrs/wk) and a reading tutor (4 hrs/wk) at the same site, you could request $5000 for enhanement staff at that site.
An Afterschool Enrichment Grant can be requested for your site(s) to participate in the Devereau Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA). This includes program staff completing a short screening tool (8 questions) about each student in the program, followed by access to the DESSA curriculum resources. Programs will work with the MASN staff to upload student names into the Aperture platform and complete a Time 1 and Time 2 rating on their students. Time 1 ratings are useful for targeting activities to meet the specific needs of the youth at that site and Time 2 ratings are useful for documenting the progress made by implementing the activities.
An Afterschool Enrichment Grant can be requested for $2000 per field trip to enhance the educational offerings provided to youth in your program. The field trips must be educational in nature and be in addition to the number of field trips offered the previous year. Following the field trips, please provide a brief summary of the educational field trip(s), along with photos if you have photo releases to share.
An Afterschool Enrichment Grant can be requested for $2000 per family educational engagement event to enhance the educational offerings to youth and families of your program. The family engagement events funded through this grant must be educational in nature and not supplant previous family educational events.
Programs wanting to measure and improve their point of service quality can apply for an Assess-Plan-Improve enrichment package. This package includes meeting with a Quality Coach (2x), PQA observation, Planning with Data session, developing a site level Quality Action Plan and access to online Youth Work Methods trainings. The $1500 payment will be made after the Planning with Data session for use to implement activities in the Quality Action Plan.
Note: Applicants for the Assess-Plan-Improve package will have a Zoom conversation with an Associate Director of Quality prior to scoring to ensure readiness, commitment, and fit to the quality improvement process.
Programs may apply for $1500 per additional staff member to be used for MOSAC registration and travel costs. Funds can be requested for staff in excess of the number of staff attending in 2023-24. For example, if your program had 4 staff attend 2023 MOSAC, Afterschool Enrichment Grant funds could be requested for the 5th, 6th, 7th, etc. attendees. (Limit 4 per program.)
Programs using the 220 Youth Leadership curricula and materials are eligible to apply for an enhancement package to bring up to 10 middle and/or high school students and 2 staff to a high-impact student event focused on life-changing skills (Leadership, Professional Communication, Employability Skills, Personal Finance, and Entrepreneurship). The full day event will be hosted at a Chicago Entrepreneurship Incubator and will include workshops, team building activities, prizes and opportunities to work on their most important passion projects and goals. After programming and during breaks, students will explore Chicago architecture, food, and culture throughout the city. Programs will receive a flat reimbursement of $5000 to cover travel costs. MASN will pay 220 Youth Leadership directly for their fees related to this Enhancement Package.
This enhancement package is for middle school and high school staff professional development. 220 Youth Leadership will provide live, virtual staff training to develop staff capabilities in teaching life-changing skills (Leadership, Professional Communication, Employability Skills, Personal Finance, and Entrepreneurship). A payment of $2000 will be made to the program after the training plan has been created with 220 Youth Leadership to cover staff time, supplies, etc. MASN will pay 220 Youth Leadership directly for their fees related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
The 220 Learning Track is for middle and high school students to participate in self-paced, hybrid, or instructor-led 220 Youth Leadership content. Choose from six available tracks: Leadershp, Resume Interview, Workforce, Personal Finance, Entrepreneurship, or Middle to High School Transitions. A payment of $2000 to the program will be made after the consultations to set up student accounts with 220 Youth Leadership has been completed. MASN will pay 220 Youth Leadership directly for their expenses related to the Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
One full Experiential Social Emotional Learning Kit. https://www.trainingwheelsgear.com/collections/training-kits/products/sel-kit-social-emotional-learning-kit . One virtual onboarding session that informs the programs/sites of what materials they will be receiving and details about the in-person training. Attendance to a 2-day in-person training in Missouri at a central location, facilitated by a Training Wheels master facilitator. A payment of $2000 will be made to the program for training expenses, consumables, supplies, etc. After documentation of attendance at the in-person training, a second payment of $1500 can be requested to continue to support the implementation of the SEL content. MASN will pay Training Wheels directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense. Limit: 30 programs.
One Facilitated Growth Kit. https://www.trainingwheelsgear.com/collections/therapeutic-tools/products/facilitated-growth-kit . One virtual on-boarding session that informs grantees about the Kit and the in-person training. One in-person training facilitated by a Training Wheels Master Facilitator held in mid-Missouri. A payment of $2000 will be made to the program for training expenses, consumables, supplies, etc. After documentation of attendance at the in-person training, a second payment of $1500 can be requested to continue to support the implementation of the SEL content. MASN will pay Training Wheels directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense. Limit: 30 programs.
The Idea to Pitch Program from Venture Lab includes:
- Educator training: Up to 3-hour virtual session, unlimited seating
- Coaching: Up to 4, one hour sessions of ongoing professional learning
- Curriculum: Digital Student Playbook & Instructor Guide
- Program Activation Kit: 26 student playbooks, instructor guide, mindset posters & stickers, all required activity materials
- Schedule: Custom Pacing Guides
- Pitch Event Planning Guide: How-to guide to host your own in-person community event
- Data Report: Measure and report on instructor and youth impact
Note: Sites in the St Louis area may be eligible for in-person support on a limited basis.
A payment of $1500 per site will be made to the program to cover staff time, supplies, materials, etc. MASN will pay Venture Lab directly for their costs associated with this Enhancement Package. Programs my opt into additional services with this vendor at their own expense. Limit: 12 programs.
Programs serving middle and high school students can participate in the DESSA – Student Self Report enhancement package. Students complete a short survey resulting in a strenghts profile with resources and recommended lessons. Programs will receive $1500 to cover staff time for training and materials/supplies for implementing activities to support youth success. MASN wil pay Aperture Education directly for their fees related to this Enhancement Package.
Programs will receive a series of ten virtual coaching sessions and five virtual trainings for their team as a part of this package. The coaching and training sessions will be designed to cater to the specific needs of the youth at the program, and the consultant will meet with the program director in advance to assess team needs.This package is designed to enhance the skills of the staff as they work with youth and families in the program. After participating in this series, participants will have a renewed connection to their purpose, an invigorated approach, and an increase in their youth development skills. A payment of $2000 will be made to the program for staff time, expenses, etc. MASN will pay The Extraordinary in You directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
| Programs will receive coaching, training, and support, along with 10 full drone kits, and the possibility of an inflatable or stationary practice arena based on participation. Visit https://www.dronesports.us/ for more information. Adult leader training includes online modules and assembly of one of the provided kits. Programs will have the option to participate in a state Drone Soccer tournament in a location to be determined based on locations of participating programs. A payment of $2000 will be made now to the program for staff time, extra supplies, batteries, etc. A second payment of $3000 will be made later, along with a drone soccer arena, upon commitment by the program to participate in events with other afterschool programs. MASN will pay Drone Soccer directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense. |
Programs will receive a virtual workshop for staff (2 hours, up to 50 people) along with 6 kid-grit Amazing Activity Guides (https://kid-grit.com/our-services/activity-guide/). This package offers a blend of social and emotional learning and drama games that flow easily in any formal or informal environment. By integrating intellectual, emotional, and mentally challenging activities with physical movement youth of all ages experience engaging, and thought-provoking moments that build resilience and self-regulation. Program will receive $2000 for supplies, materials, additional facilitator guides, etc. MASN will pay kid-grit directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
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“Programs will receive a virtual workshop for staff (2 hours, up to 50 people) along with 5 kid-grit Writing for Wellness guides (https://kid-grit.com/our-services/writing-for-wellness/). This student-centered, emotional well-being and literacy guide offers 25+ hours of creative writing activites that address mental wellness. This unexpected and transformative experience encourages participants to develop a deeper understanding of themselves, build social-emotional skills, and connect with others in a meaningful way through a creative writing process. Programs will receive $2000 for supplies, materials, additional facilitator guides, etc. MASN will pay kid-grit directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
Programs will receive training for staff, along with 6 facilitator guides and 6 class sets of student journals based on their student ages (K-3, 4-6, or 7-12) for the kid-grit Curriclum (https://kid-grit.com/our-services/curriculum/). Staff training includes either 2 virutal or 1 in-person training and 1 group virutal coaching session (for up to 50 people). Programs will receive $2000 for training time, supplies, addiitonal materials, etc. MASN will pay kid-grit directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
STEMfinity proudly offers a comprehensive Afterschool Enrichment Bundle designed to empower afterschool programs with high-quality STEM education solutions. Our bundle provides:
- Custom STEM Consultation: Expert guidance to help programs identify and select STEM products that align with their specific goals and needs.
- STEM Bundles: A curated collection of STEM products tailored to engage students in hands-on, inquiry-based learning.
- Professional Development: Train the Trainer includes virtual training sessions, webinars, coaching, and implementation support, to ensure successful integration of STEM activities into programs.
Programs will receive $2000 for training time, supplies, addiitonal materials, etc. MASN will pay STEMfinity directly for their expenses, including the curated STEM products related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional materials or services at their own expense.
This package provides funding for additional transportation to/from the afterschool program. This transportation enhancement must be “in addition to” the transportation currently offered by the program (this funding should not supplant current funding). Program will receive $10,000 to use for transportation costs.
Programs may apply for $2000 per additional staff member to be used toward NAA registration and travel costs. Funds can be requested for staff in excess of the number of staff attending in 2023 NAA. For example, if your program had 2 staff attend 2023 NAA, the Afterschool Enrichment Grant funds could be requested for 3rd and 4th attendee in 2024. The program will receive $2000 per eligible staff (limit 2) to put toward NAA expenses. Programs/attendees are responsible for making their own travel arrangements.
The Young Entrepreneur Institute will provide consultation and supplies to help the afterschool program build a custom entrepreneurial library with new books and games curated specifically for the ages and stages of the students you support. YEI’s team of knowledgeable educators will provide two “personal shopping” sessions to help afterschool programs select appropriate entrepreneur books and games. Games and books will be purchased by Youth Entrepreneur Institute and sent to the afterschool program. Programs with one site will receive $1500 for staff time, additional supplies or materials, etc. Programs with 2 or more sites participating in the enhancement will receive $1500 once, plus an additional $500 per site (2nd, 3rd, etc.). MASN will pay YEI directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
The Young Entrepreneur Institute will provide consultation and supplies to help the afterschool program start up a youth micro-business. Specifically, program will receive a training workshop for staff on brainstorming micro-businesses, consultation to recommend resources to youth, a workshop for students on pricing and presentation, start up supplies, and the Student Entrepreneurship Experience Reflection framework. Programs with one site will receive $1500 for staff time, additional supplies or materials, etc. Programs with 2 or more sites participating in the enhancement will receive $1500 once, plus an additional $500 per site (2nd, 3rd, etc.). MASN will pay YEI directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
The Young Entrepreneur Institute will provide consultation and supplies to help the afterschool program start up a youth micro-business. Specifically, program will receive a training workshop for staff on brainstorming micro-businesses, consultation to recommend resources to youth, a workshop for students on pricing and presentation, start up supplies, and the Student Entrepreneurship Experience Reflection framework. Programs with one site will receive $1500 for staff time, additional supplies or materials, etc. Programs with 2 or more sites participating in the enhancement will receive $1500 once, plus an additional $500 per site (2nd, 3rd, etc.). MASN will pay YEI directly for their expenses related to this Enhancement Package. Programs may opt into additional services at their own expense.
Accordion Content
Funding for the ARPA Afterschool Enrichment Grant was made possible through a contract with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to distribute a portion of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) 1% Set-aside for Afterschool to youth serving programs across the state.