Awards and Grants

Chester Community Charter School has received a number of competitive Federal, State, and Private grants and awards as a result of its academic successes. Additionally, grants have been used to pilot educational reforms that have then been adapted as part of the school’s ongoing academic program.

To view our grant awards, click on the program descriptors below.

21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) Program

Since 2001 CCCS has provided extended learning opportunities for students and families through summer, Saturday, and before and after school programming funded by 21st Century Community Learning Centers (21st CCLC) grants. Currently the school has two such grants – “Cohort 5” (first awarded in spring 2010) and “Cohort 6” (awarded in spring 2012). Since 2010 our 21st CCLC Cohort 5 grant has funded the following extended learning opportunities for students and their families:

Keystones to Opportunity

Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) recently received a “Keystones to Opportunity” (KtO) for striving readers grant. CCCS is one of 58 educational agencies in Pennsylvania chosen to participate in the US government’s broad approach to improving literacy outcomes for children from birth to grade 12. As one of only six states to receive funding, Pennsylvania was awarded $38.6 million by the U.S. Department of Education. The CCCS award will support the first year of the grant. Funds for years 2-5 depend on the availability of federal funds.

Race to the Top

In summer 2012, CCCS was awarded a Race to the Top Phase 3 LEA subgrant from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). The goal of the Race to the Top Phase 3 LEA Grant Program is for participating entities to adopt and implement Pennsylvania’s Educator Effectiveness Instrument and to use the evaluation process and results to inform local decisions regarding professional development and staff retention in support of student achievement.

Federal Entitlements – Titles I and IIA

Chester Community Charter School receives funds from three federal entitlement grants: (1) a Title I School-Wide Program grant; (2) a Title IIA teacher quality grant; and (3) a Title III grant to support supplemental language instruction for limited English proficient students. The purpose of Federal Entitlement grants is to ensure that all children have a fair, equal, and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach, at a minimum, proficiency on challenging State academic achievement standards and state academic assessments.

Federal Entitlements – Title III Language Instruction for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students

Since 2009, CCCS has received Title III funds to support a wide array of educational services for limited English proficient and immigrant students and their families. The funds are used for activities that assist LEP students in developing English language proficiency in comprehension, listening, speaking, reading and writing, and meet the same challenging State academic content and student academic achievement standards as all children are expected to meet.

Bryn Clovis Foundation

Each year since the 2006-07 school year, Chester Community Charter School (CCCS) has received a grant to help fund costs for students to attend enriching summer camps. Prior to summer 2012, the funds were used to pay for students’ tuition to the ESF Dream Camp program in Philadelphia. However, beginning in 2012 the funds were used to pay for the costs of sending students to the CCCS summer camp programs. Camp programs develop young leaders and encourage youth to embrace challenges, seize opportunities, overcome obstacles, and achieve their dreams.

Barbara Berry Foundation

In spring 2012, CCCS received a grant from the Barbara Berry Foundation. The grant was used to fund Lisa Wolfe’s Build-a-Band programs offered in the school’s Enrichment Program and Empowerment for Success after school program. This approach to music education has wonderful impact on students’ ability to learn to play musical instruments (including the violin, keyboard, base, and guitar) in just a few lessons.

ACCESS

Reimbursement funding for health-related services for special education students. These agencies can obtain funding for health-related services which are currently being provided to children.

E-Rate

E-Rate is the commonly used name for the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

Federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA) funds support operational expenses that ensure provision of FAPE to each student who is eligible for special education

Former Grants

Throughout its 15-year history, the school has introduced innovations, analyzed their impact, and continuously improved its approaches. CCCS has been fortunate to receive and implement numerous competitive federal and state grants that have supported many of these innovations and fostered excellence through enriched curricular resources and professional capacity. Some of the effective grant funded reform initiatives first introduced by grant funding no longer available to CCCS are described below. Jacob K. Javits Gifted and Enrichment Program