Modern community learning centers are an important aspect of educational development that supports both out-of-school and in-school learning. These learning centers refer to out-of-school-time programs, such as summer camps and both before and after school programs. Across Michigan, there are 250 sites in underserved communities that support around 20,000 K-12 students in the state.

Since the centers’ openings in 2002, researchers at Michigan State University’s University Outreach and Engagement’s Community Evaluation Programs have served as the state evaluator. The funding, provided by the federal government, is administered by the state through Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement and Potential, or MiLEAP, in partnership with Michigan Department of Education.

In September, the research team, led by Jamie Wu, associate director for Community Evaluation Programs, was awarded a five-year grant in the fifth competitive funding cycle, totaling $530,000 annually.

“Our success in receiving this grant reflects MSU’s commitment to community-engaged scholarship, enabling us to apply social science research in real-world settings — and to do so at a significant, statewide scale,” said Wu, also a research assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. "We integrate insights from the research literature and collaborate with partners across state and local communities to identify quality measures and effective implementation strategies, and to collect data assessing the extent to which programs are delivered to youth and families as intended.”