More than 100 students and their families in Darby will continue to have access to a long-standing after-school education program. ECS has learned it will receive funding to operate the Out of School Time (OST) program at Park Lane Elementary through 2029.
The grant award of $275,184 is provided by the 21st Century Community Learning Centers initiative of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
ECS has worked at Park Lane Elementary since 2016 and is deeply committed to providing services in an area with many unmet needs. 27.7% of Darby’s residents live below the poverty level. Children in Darby are disproportionately under-resourced: 41% of children under 18 live in poverty, and 79.5% of students at Park Lane are considered economically disadvantaged.
Soneyet Muhammad, Chief Programs Officer at ECS, commented, “We are thrilled for these students and their families. ECS provides high-quality OST programming that engages students in a robust STEAM curriculum and allows caregivers to work or address other family commitments knowing their children are safe and learning.”
Anne Rice Burgess, ECS’ Chief Executive Officer, added, “We are grateful that the 21st Century Community Learning Centers program values Darby and trusts ECS to continue providing excellent educational experiences for children there. Our OST staff performs high-level, important work that directly impacts the lives of children and their families, and we are proud of that.”
Park Lane is one of seven OST sites operated by ECS, making ECS one of the largest OST providers in Philadelphia.