Your school district is eligible for funding from ESSER III for after-school programs like FIRST.

When applying for Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER III), grantees must reserve 20% of their ESSER III allocation for addressing learning loss through evidence-based interventions (after-school, extended learning time, accelerated learning) that respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs, including special populations. Since FIRST programs address these needs, you can request that part of this 20% be allocated to your team.

See how much money your district is eligible for! 

Your school district is required to consult with stakeholder groups (i.e., after-school programs and clubs like your team) while making their ESSER III plan. Set up a meeting with your school district’s grant writers for the week of 5/31 to make sure some of that money is going to your FIRST teams before the deadline of June 15.

To learn more about ESSER III, you can access this presentation. Further information about ESSER III can be found at the DOE website. FIRST conducted an 84-month longitudinal study about the impact of FIRST. Familiarizing yourself with some of the data here may be helpful for your meeting. FIN conducted an impact survey specifically to study the growth of Indiana students. This is also a great resource to have when meeting with your district.
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