The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation provided the grant for three years. Robert Langford, the executive director of Operation Shoestring, stated that afterschool programs help children do better at school and keep them on track to graduation. “They also offer an opportunity to bring school and community together in partnership to ensure our kids’ success.” “We are honored and proud to lead and strengthen such efforts,” said Robert Langford, executive director of Operation Shoestring. The funds will be used for the creation of a network across the state to support afterschool programs. The press release said that the network will “(1) map out-of school-time programs in Mississippi; 2) establish a representative, durable structure of governance for this network; and (3) develop quality standards in order to advance out-of–school-time programmes in the state.” The Mott Foundation, a private foundation, supports projects in four areas: civil Society, Education, Environment, and Flint, Mich.