Beyond School Bells Partners Grant Program

In 2013, Beyond School Bells initiated the Nebraska Statewide Coalition of Community-wide ELO Systems—which is an informal partnership between Beyond School Bells and school-community ELO partnerships in multiple communities across Nebraska.  In 2021, this BSB Coalition grant was renamed and expanded to become the BSB Partners Grant.

BSB Partners Grant recipients are schools and school districts working to make their ELO programs exciting, engaging, inspiring and supportive learning environments for children and families in their communities.   The BSB Partners program reflects our belief that ELO programs have the potential to be an even more important element of the education landscape across our state as Nebraska attempts to accelerate and enhance learning  BSB will work with public and private partners to provide general operating support, technical assistance and targeted grant opportunities and ELO innovations designed to enhance BSB Partner efforts to enhance their community’s ELO programs.   Specifically, BSB’s work in supporting Partners will focus on the following goals: 

Goal 1: To enhance the long-term sustainability of high quality, community-based Expanded Learning Opportunity (ELO) programming in BSB Partner communities, with a particular focus upon building local partnerships and developing/implementing innovative staffing models.

Goal 2: To support BSB Partner community efforts in developing and implementing effective communication tools, outreach strategies and events that promote greater ELO awareness and build support for high quality, sustainable, community-based ELO programs in your community and across the state. 

Goal 3: To continue to enhance the availability of innovative programming in ELO programs to youth in BSB Partner communities.  Currently our investments in ELO innovation focuses on STEM, Entrepreneurship, Environmental Education, College and Career Readiness, Family Engagement and Social Emotional Learning.