State grant funds expansion of after-school programs | News

PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Hundreds of children who have no place to go after school will now be able to take part in after school programs, thanks to a $2.2 million grant from the Maine Dept. of Education.

The money is going to LearningWorks, which already runs after school programs in two Portland elementary schools, to expand its services to the Ocean Avenue and Presumpscot Schools, as well as to schools in Biddeford.

In all, some 1,400 students will be able to take advantage of a longer day of learning, which teachers say is crucial for kids who would not otherwise get educational experiences after the final bell rings.

The focus of the programs will be on science, math and technology. But language skills will also be offered to help immigrant students improve their English.

A four week summer program will kick things off in July, with regular after-school programming beginning in September.