The Georgia Statewide Afterschool Network (GSAN) was proud to partner with the Georgia Department of Education to administer $85 million for afterschool and summer learning in Georgia. Funding for the Building Opportunities in Out-of-School Time (BOOST) grants program was made available through the American Rescue Plan that was signed into law by President Biden in March of 2021.

The BOOST Grants program has officially come to an end. GSAN would like to congratulate grantee organizations on all of their hard work and the incredible impact they’ve made over the last three years in support of high-quality youth development. Please subscribe to GSAN newsletters for any future BOOST funding update.

The BOOST grants program offered three-year grants, renewed annually, to community-based organizations that operated comprehensive out-of-school time (OST) programming year-round, over the summer months, or after school during the academic year. The goal was to provide evidence-based afterschool and summer enrichment programming that supported students in learning skills and concepts and provided whole child supports, thus removing non-academic barriers to learning for students most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants were supporting students’ learning, connectedness, and well-being, utilizing a whole child approach. The purpose of these grants was to:

1. Expand access to serve more youth, with an emphasis on students and communities most impacted by the pandemic,
2. Reduce barriers, such as transportation and enrollment costs, to ensure access for all, and/or
3. Increase programmatic quality and expand or enhance supports and services offered.

The BOOST grants program prioritized:

• Programs that serve youth with disabilities, youth experiencing homelessness, youth in foster care, English language learners, youth receiving free or reduced-price lunch, and migratory youth
• Programs that have operated summer and/or afterschool programming in the past three years
• Sites located in communities with no current programs receiving government funds through 21st Century Community Learning Centers Program or the Afterschool Care Program (list of counties)
• Programs offering programming 5 days a week

BOOST Year 2