ARP-ESSER Out-of-School Time (OST) Planning Grant

Grants of up to $15,000 for your library system or school district to engage in activities to strategically develop your services and programs for youth. You can view a checklist of grant requirements a draft of the final report questions here.

Apply for Year 2

The application for Year 2 of this grant is closed. The award for the second year of this grant will be up to $15,000.

Program Overview – Year 2

The Idaho Commission for Libraries is pleased to announce the Out-of-School Planning and Implementation Grant. Public, school, and special libraries (including tribal) throughout Idaho may apply for $15,000 to plan for and increase out-of-school learning time for K-12 youth. This funding opportunity aims to address learning loss among students related to the impact of reduced instructional time due to COVID-19. Selected libraries will have the opportunity to use grant funds to participate in professional development, conduct planning activities, and deliver high-quality out-of-school learning opportunities for youth in their communities.

To fulfill the professional development and planning activities, grantees will use resources developed by the Idaho Out-of-School Network (ION) to create plans for continuous quality improvement, professional development, and conducting self-assessments. Libraries will select four of the following Building Blocks for Out-of-School Time to focus on:

• Intentional Program Design
• Supportive Relationships and Environments
• Youth Voice, Leadership, and Engagement
• Responsiveness to Culture and Identity
• Community, School, and Family Engagement
• Organization and Leadership Management
• Ongoing Staff Support and Volunteer Development
• Youth Safety and Wellness

Libraries will also create an asset map focused on resources for K-12 students in their community.

For the programming component of the grant, selected libraries should plan to increase or improve learning and enrichment activities in ways that address the needs of their local communities. Libraries could use the following strategies to implement the out-of-school programming portion of the grant:

• Increase the number, type, frequency, or format of out-of-school learning or enrichment programs.
• Expand or develop new programming to reach youth in communities with little to no access.
• Offer programming at times that may be more accessible to youth that may have limited access during regular business hours.
• Provide additional staff time, or hire additional staff, to plan and conduct programs.
• Conduct programs offsite to increase access to youth with limited available transportation.
• Reduce barriers by identifying ways to increase access for youth disproportionately affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, including those from underserved racial and ethnic groups, children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, migrant youth, children experiencing homelessness, and youth in foster care.
• Increase programing quality through staff professional development, creating new curriculum, or building partnerships with community-based organizations, schools, or local governmental agencies.
• Bring in guest speakers, host demonstrations, or conduct teamwork exercises.
• Add new enrichment opportunities, such as college, trade school, and career exploration.
• Address the social and emotional needs of youth during out-of-school programming.
• Provide transportation to and from out-of-school programs.

Selected libraries should focus on providing out-of-school learning and enrichment programs on a variety of topics to address learning loss resulting from reduced instructional time due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Examples of programing topics include, but are not limited to:

• STEM
• Literacy and Reading
• The Arts
• History and Social Studies
• Geography
• Physical Education
• College, Trade School, and Technical Education
• Career Exploration
• Strategies for Successful Learning and Studying
• Social and Emotional Well-Being

This program is administered by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and is made possible in part by the Idaho Board of Education and the U.S. Department of Education, with funding authorized by the American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund under the American Rescue Plan (ARP) Act of 2021, Public Law 117-2, enacted on March 11, 2021. The ARP ESSER Fund aims to respond to students’ academic, social, and emotional needs and also address the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on underrepresented student subgroups, including those from different racial and ethnic groups, children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, students experiencing homelessness, and youth in foster care.

Program Goals

1. Strengthen the role of libraries as community educators addressing learning loss by implementing high-quality evidence-based out-of-school learning programs.
2. Build the institutional capacity of libraries by funding staff participation in training and professional development opportunities focused on out-of-school learning best practices.
3. Address the academic, social, and emotional needs of Idaho’s K-12 students facing learning loss due to the Covid-19 pandemic, with special emphasis on the disproportionate impact on underrepresented student subgroups.

Eligibility

This grant is open to public and special libraries (including tribal) in Idaho. One application/award per library legal entity. Multi-branch systems must submit a single application. In order to be eligible, the library must be able to provide programming to youth in grades K-12. Organizations that have received this grant in the past are eligible to to apply again for an amount up to $7,500. For definitions of library types, please see ICfL’s grant eligibility requirements at https://libraries.idaho.gov/grants-funding/grant-eligibility/.

To apply for this grant, the organization must obtain a non-proprietary Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) number from the federal System of Award Management (SAM). The UEI is a requirement for grantees receiving federal funds administered by the ICfL and replaces the requirement for a DUNS number. Obtaining a UEI is free, but can take upwards of a week to several months if your entity is not already in the SAM system. Please see the SAM website for more information: https://sam.gov/content/home.

Selection Process and Agreement Instrument

Applications deemed eligible and complete will be ranked by an ICfL grant review committee using a scoring rubric based upon the application narrative questions. Each narrative question identifies the number of associated points for that question. Grant reviewers may also take into account the overall project budget and the geographic distribution of applicants when ranking.

Official award notifications will be signed by the ICfL authorizing official, the State Librarian, or alternate assigned official. The completed application signed by the applicant, along with the official award notification signed by the ICfL authorizing official, will serve as the agreement/contract for this grant.

Key Dates for Year 2

Submit Applications: August 25 – September 30, 2023

Grant Period: October 23, 2023 – August 31, 2024.

Interim Report Due: April 15, 2024

Final Report Due: August 31, 2024

Program Requirements – Year 2

Award Summary. Libraries may apply for an award of up to $15,000 or up to $7,500 for libraries that received this funding during year 1. Funds may be used for planning, staff professional development, and providing out-of-school time learning and enrichment programs for youth for a public library system or school district.

Required Activities. The library agrees to:

1. Read the Building Blocks of Out-of-School Time Quality Guide published by the Idaho Out-of-School Network (ION) at https://idahooutofschool.org/buildingblockresources/. Select four building blocks to focus on. Attend or watch two webinars on the four selected building blocks.
2. Complete continuous quality improvement plans, professional development plans, and self-assessment summaries for the four selected building blocks. Templates available on the ION website: https://idahooutofschool.org/buildingblockresources/.
3. Watch a webinar produced by the Utah Education Policy Center discussing the topic of data collection and storytelling.
4. Create an asset map to better understand resources for youth in the community. The ICfL will provide resources to get started.
5. Prepare and conduct high-quality out-of-school learning programs at your library or through outreach events using the knowledge and tools gained from the professional development and planning components of the grant.
6. Develop and submit a plan for future programs (after the grant period has ended) based on the knowledge and tools gained from the professional development and planning components of the grant.
7. Make reasonable efforts to address the needs of student groups disproportionality affected by the Covid-19 pandemic when conducting grant activities, including those from underserved racial and ethnic groups, children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, children experiencing homelessness, and youth in foster care.
8. Implement public health protocols during programming to maintain the health and safety of program participants and staff.

Allowable Expenditures.  A grantee may only use program funds for allowable costs, as defined in the federal grant funds Uniform Guidance (2 C.F.R. Part 200), which includes the requirement that costs be reasonable and necessary for the accomplishment of program objectives.

The following is an abbreviated list of allowable grant expenses. It is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive. Applicants should contact the ICfL if they are unsure if their proposed idea/expenditure is allowable.

1. Compensation including salaries and wages for staff involved in planning, participating in professional development, preparing for, and providing out-of-school learning and enrichment programs, and conducting the self-assessment. This is intended to support the library with additional salary funds necessary to expand services or complete project objects, and not replace existing salaries.
2. Materials and supplies for out-of-school learning and enrichment programs including technology and assistive technology devices.
3. Materials and supplies such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), cleaning and sanitizing supplies necessary for safely conducting grant activities.
4. Equipment used for out-of-school learning. Equipment includes property (and information technology systems) having a useful life of more than one year and a per-unit acquisition cost of $5,000 or more. Equipment must be pre-approved in writing by the ICfL.
5. Training and education costs for staff, including related travel expenses. Costs must be directly related to the purpose and successful fulfillment of this grant.
6. Professional and consultant services such as those for translation, tutoring, guest speakers or facilitators, asset mapping, or community partner programming.
7. Services to increase out-of-school learning or make learning opportunities more accessible such as those used for technological connectivity and subscriptions. Grant funds may only be used to pay for services provided during the official grant period.
8. Advertising or publicity specifically related to the grant for (1) program outreach specific to the grant such as publishing dates and times of activities, (2) recruitment of personnel to carry out the grant; (3) procurement of goods or services to implement the grant.

Non-Allowable Expenditures.  The following is an abbreviated list of non-allowable grant expenses. It is not intended to be exhaustive or exclusive. Applicants should contact the ICfL if they are unsure if a cost is allowable. The following items are not allowable grant expenses:

1. Food and beverages. However, if a partner organization provides food, or the purchase of food is funded through another source, the grantee can use staff time paid for with grant funds to prepare or distribute the food to participants. Food is allowable if used primarily as a supply in a learning activity.
2. Capital expenditures related to the purchase of real property, buildings, or motor vehicles.
3. Construction expenditures related to the improvement or expansion of buildings and facilities.
4. Advertising or publicity not related directly to the programs carried out through the grant.
5. Promotional items and memorabilia, including models, gifts, and souvenirs.

Reporting Requirements. The library agrees to:

1. Document grant expenditures through receipts, payroll reports, accounting system reports, and/or invoices. Spending documentation must be submitted with the final report. Any grant funds not accounted for through documented spending must be returned to the ICfL.
2. Collect program data required by the ICfL or our funding partners, the Idaho State Board of Education and the U.S. Department of Education.
3. Facilitate surveys and/or site visits by the Idaho Out of School Network (ION) or their subcontractor for program evaluation purposes.
4. Submit interim report by April 15, 2024.
5. Submit final report by August 30, 2024.

Records Retention.  The grantee must retain grant records for a period of three years following the end of the award period. Records include the grant application/agreement, award letter, correspondence, reports, financial records, and receipts.

Acknowledgement.  This grant is administered by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible in part by the Idaho State Board of Education and the U.S. Department of Education. Please acknowledge these funding sources in signage, brochures, websites, press releases, and public events funded by this grant.

Funding Availability. The ICfL plans to disburse funds to awarded libraries at the beginning of the grant period. Disbursement of awards is conditional upon ICfL’s receipt of ARP ESSER funds from the Idaho State Board of Education and the U.S. Department of Education. If ARP ESSER funds become unavailable to the ICfL for any reason, the ICfL reserves the right to delay or withhold funding from awarded libraries, or cancel this grant program altogether. The ICfL will notify awarded libraries in writing if funding becomes unavailable. Grantees are advised not to incur post-award grant expenses until they receive written confirmation that the ICfL is disbursing funds to them.

Application Instructions

The online application must be completed in one sitting and cannot be saved for completion at a later time. We suggest drafting responses in a separate document prior to completing the online form. The application must be signed and submitted with an electronic signature on or before September 30, 2023 at 11:59 p.m. MT. This application will serve as your official grant agreement if you are notified in writing that you have been approved for funding. The ICfL will notify all applicants whether or not they were selected for funding.

If you have questions about the application process, please contact either of the following staff members at the Idaho Commission for Libraries:

• Jennifer Redford, Youth Services Consultant, jennifer.redford@libraries.idaho.gov or (208) 639-4147
• Talela Florko, Grants/Contracts Officer, at talela.florko@libraries.idaho.gov or (208) 334-2150

Application Questions

• Descriptive Title of Your Proposed Project
• Describe the need for increased out-of-school learning opportunities for youth within your community. Please include the needs of one or more of the student groups listed in the authorizing legislation for this funding source including youth from underserved racial and ethnic groups, children from low-income families, children with disabilities, English learners, migrant students, children experiencing homelessness, and youth in foster care. (30 points)
• Describe the capacity of your organization to engage in the planning and professional development process for this grant. Provide the name and title of the staff member(s) who will (1) take the lead on reviewing the Building Blocks of Out-of-School Time Quality Guide and complete the continuous quality improvement plan, professional development plan, and self-assessments; (2) attend the virtual trainings on asset mapping and take the lead on creating an asset map to better understand resources for youth in the community. How much time will be available for the staff member(s) to devote to professional development for this grant each month? (20 Points)
• Briefly describe your preliminary plans for providing out-of-school learning opportunities for youth in your community. Include a brief description of your current or typical youth programs, and how these grant funds will be used to build upon or expand existing offerings. (20 points)
• Please indicate if you plan to partner, contract out, or bring in facilitators to complete grant components.
• How do you plan to address programming or access for one or more of the student groups listed in this application? (10 points)
• Would you like to request additional non-monetary support or resources from the ICfL during the planning process? Please indicate the tools or resources that would help you to be successful in carrying out this grant. This response is optional.
• Requested Funding Amount
• Proposed Budget

Questions? Contact ICfL:

If you have questions about the grant application, allowable expenditures, or any other grant related questions, please contact Talela Florko, Grants/Contracts Officer, at talela.florko@libraries.idaho.gov, (208) 639-4158, or Jennifer Redford, Youth Services Consultant, jennifer.redford@libraries.idaho.gov, (208) 639-4147.