For a competitive grant program to support the development and expansion of high-quality, comprehensive summer learning opportunities for students in districts with high concentrations of low-income students; provided, that the department of elementary and secondary education shall develop the criteria for grants; provided further, that grants shall be awarded to programs that: (i) include not less than 150 hours of programming with a focus on academic and college and career readiness skills, including critical thinking, collaboration and perseverance; (ii) are research-based summer programs; and (iii) engage with a variety of organizations and leverage cost-sharing partnerships with local districts, private funders and nonprofit institutions; provided further, that in awarding grants, the department may consider the amount of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding received by a district; provided further, that, for districts that the department determines have received substantial federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding, preference in awarding grants may be given to those districts that commit to not less than a 100 per cent match in federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds; provided further, that grant awards shall not be contingent upon a match in federal funding for those districts that the department determines have not received substantial federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funding; and provided further, that appropriated funds may be expended for programs or activities during the summer months
