(The Center Square) – Expanding learning opportunities and improving student outcomes is the focus of a new investment.

Rhode Island is doling out $4 million in funding that will match $4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, Gov. Dan McKee said, that will be directed at school districts and community-based organization programming for students.

“To improve student outcomes, we are focused on shifting learning in Rhode Island from the traditional 180 school days to 365 days of learning, and we’re making the strategic investments to make it happen,” McKee said in a statement. “In addition to the $4 million in federal funds RIDE is investing to support partnerships between local education agencies and community-based organizations, my administration has prioritized another $4 million in the #RIReady budget to expand supplemental high-quality learning experiences. By coming together and working closely with families, educators, and business and municipal leaders, we will make sure our students continue to move forward.”

The Rhode Island Department of Education announced that $3.93 million across 21 grants through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding had been set aside.

“Learning doesn’t just happen inside the four walls of a classroom: it takes place before and after the school day and during the summer, too,” Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, D-Warwick, said in a statement. “By providing as many learning opportunities as possible for kids, we are setting them up for greater success in life.”

The funding, according to the release, features an application process where educational entities were to provide programming that reinforces schoolwork through an array of enrichment activities.

According to the release, Warwick Public Schools were awarded funding for a pair of initiatives. The X-Stream Learning Center, through a partnership with Oakland Beach and the Boys & Girls Club of Warwick, will use “Xing out” learning gaps and providing “eXplicit” instruction in Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Arts, and Match. The program is specifically designed for at-risk youth in elementary school.

Gamm Theater, according to the release, will also be part of the project that will have a Promoting Literacy and Arts for Youth program.