A grant of more than $1 million to fund two Rockcastle County community learning centers is the most recent success of a partnership between Berea College and the Rockcastle County School system.

Announcement of the U.S. Department of Education grant was made by Dreama Gentry, director of the College's office of special programs.

The Rockcastle/Berea partnership grant is one of only 310 learning center projects awarded nation-wide through the "21st Century Community Learning Centers" initiative authorized under Title X of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. 1500 schools in 48 states will receive a total of $186 million under the program to provide enriched learning opportunities in a safe environment to children outside of regular school hours and during summer.

The two learning centers will be located at Rockcastle County High School and the Area Technology Center. Programs will serve 300 students (grades 9-12) and approximately 500 community members in the two rural schools. Services the centers will provide include tutoring and opportunities for students to take after school self-paced classes using the computer and the Internet, as well as a variety of recreational and cultural activities. Parenting skills, nutrition and health services will also be available. The grant also funds the services of a career counselor to help students and other members of the community plan for college and beyond.

According to Gentry, the learning centers will enhance several other Education Department-funded programs at the College which are currently serving Rockcastle County school-age, including PIE (Partners in Education), Upward Bound and Educational Talent Search. In 1999, Berea received a $1.9 GEAR UP grant in partnership with Rockcastle County schools, Forward in the Fifth and School-To-Work-Local Market 16, which provides services in the schools and community as well as programming through Berea College.

For additional information, contact Dreama Gentry in the office of special programs at 859-985-3853.