LEWISTON — For the past two years, Mohamed Issak, 18, a Lewiston High School senior, has been involved in 21st Century, a program that provides after-school and summer enrichment and tutoring to middle and high school students. Students in the program also tutor younger students.

“The program helped me in many ways,” Issak said Saturday.

Now, 21st Century is expanding to two elementary schools, Longley and Martel.

Program Director Jenn Carter said her program has been awarded a second federal grant of $1.3 million — $260,000 a year for five years — through the Maine Department of Education.

“I’m excited about Longley and Martel, to continue the 21st Century work K-12,” Carter said. “Especially with proficiency-based learning and students having to meet new standards.”

The Auburn School Department’s grant to continue its 21st Century Community Learning Centers was renewed for three more years, Superintendent Katy Grondin said.

Auburn’s CLC centers are at the Auburn Middle School, Sherwood and Walton.

Summer learning loss, when students’ academic skills slip over the long summer, has been identified as a big problem, especially for economically disadvantaged students.

Summer learning loss can be avoided even with a few hours of reading and practicing other skills during the summer, experts say.

Lewiston’s Carter said she’s hopeful that 300 Longley and Martel students will join the program, which will run from early July to early August.

Martel currently has no after-school or summer program; Longley has summer programming funded by the John Gorman Foundation and after-school programming funded by a Main Street Foundation grant.

But that funding is temporary, Carter said.

“The 21st Century grant will provide programming on a larger scale for five years,” she said. “Over the course of the five years, our advisory board will look at how to make the program sustainable.”

The new grant will allow summer programs at Longley and Martel beginning July 5. In the fall, Longley and Martel will have after-school tutoring and enrichment such as cooking, dance and robotics.

The majority of students who joined 21st Century at the middle and high school needed help with school work. Tutoring is done by Bates College students, staf from 4-H, St. Mary’s Nutrition Center and volunteers.

The program has grown to be more than academic support, Carter said.

“We created other programs based on what the kids want,” she said. One is a leadership program, of which Issak is a member.

Leadership has been around for two years. Students perform community service “as a way to teach them what it’s like to have a job,” Carter said.

Issak said he joined “because I wanted to do something for my community.” When he first became a member, “I was quiet,” he said. Now he’s one of the leaders and does public speaking.

In leadership, students go on field trips, learn communication skills and give presentations. Issak is no longer shy. 

He also mentors students at Longley on Friday and meets with parents. Expanding the program there will help Longley students, he said.

“They have among the lowest reading scores in the state,” Issak said. “We don’t just read. We do fun activities.”

Like it did for him, he predicts the program will help these pupils develop skills “and get them out of their comfort zone.”