HARTFORD, Conn. — Gov. Ned Lamont announced $11 million in federal COVID-19 relief fund toward the state’s expansion for free summer camp to about 24,000 children.
The announcement was made during a video conference Wednesday with members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation, education officials and summer camp leaders.
“After a challenging school year for so many students, our goal with this funding is for all kids to be able to access the terrific summer camps, child care centers, and other summer programs that our state has to offer,” Lamont said. “By expanding access and lowering barriers that have precluded students from prior participation, we can help ensure that students have a fun and educational summer with their peers and are set up for success in the fall.”
Lamont said he’s hoping local municipalities and their school districts chip in funding to provide free summer camp for another 50,000 children.
Officials said the grant program is aimed at helping children, particularly those in poor and minority communities, who have struggled with remote learning during the pandemic.
“With jobs returning and workers coming back into an office setting, this summer is a really important time to make sure that parents have a safe place to send their kids,” Sen. Chris Murphy said. “This funding is going to allow for more kids in Connecticut, especially low-income kids, to be able to have access to quality summer programs.”
A competitive grant application will be launched to award expansion grants and innovation grants to eligible organizations to provide students and families with engaging summer enrichment and learning experiences.
“These grants will allow us to innovate, create, and collaborate to provide our students with quality, evidence-based programming that will enhance learning and enrichment opportunities outside of the traditional classroom setting,” Connecticut Acting Commissioner of Education Charlene Russell-Tucker said.
In March, Lamont announced that summer camps and festivals could begin the planning stages to open for the upcoming season.
The grant applications and additional information on both programs will be released by CSDE in the coming days.
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