Alabama

Alabama Expanded Learning Alliance

The Alabama Expanded Learning Alliance works in collaboration with the Alabama State Department of Education, the Alabama 21st Century Community Learning Centers, and the Alabama Community Education Association (ACEA) to ensure Alabama youth, families, and communities have access to high quality programming during Out-of-School time that promotes positive development and life-long learning. Our goal as a Network is to support and strengthen Out-of-School time programs that engage youth, families, communities, and policy makers as champions for sustainable, high-quality opportunities to ensure a lifetime of learning.

Current Projects and Initiatives: 
  • AELA has continued its extensive and supportive relationship with the Alabama State Department of Education; Alabama Community Education Association; Alabama Department of Human Resources and Alabama Department of Public Health.    
  • AELA partnered with the Alabama Mathematics, Science, Technology and Engineering Coalition, the A+ Education Partnership and the Alabama Community Education Association to host the STEM Education Workforce Development Forum. The event featured remarks from Rolls Royce, Change the Equation, Mercedes Benz USI, the Alabama Workforce Council and NASA. 
  • AELA is continuing its extensive project to demonstrate the deliberate and strategic alignment and linkage of Out-of-School efforts with regular school day learning and the College and Career-Ready Curriculum Standards.
  • The state’s line-item allocation for Community Education, one of Alabama’s only significant funding streams for Out-of-School programming, has been maintained.  
  • The AELA Steering Committee launched a Quality Standard’s Taskforce to develop statewide Out-of-School Quality Standards. Initial revisions and recommendations have been submitted, with the Quality Standards now posted to the website for public comment. Final adoption is anticipated in the coming months.