Keeping schools open longer--before and after school, and during the summer--can turn schools into "Community Learning Centers." By keeping school doors open during nontraditional school hours, the school provides students, parents, and the community with access to valuable educational resources. This guidebook outlines the steps needed to successfully convert a school into a community learning center and lists resources for further information and assistance. The guidebook provides concrete suggestions for estimating typical costs, developing a community-learning-center budget, building consensus and partnerships, conducting a community assessment of needs and resources, designing an effective program, considering logistical issues, obtaining qualified staff, and evaluating a program's accomplishments. The guidebook also lists resource organizations, resource activities at and publications from the U.S. Department of Education, and federal resources. Appendices define typical costs, outline the elements of quality in child-care programs and the elements of a budget worksheet, and offer strategies for building consensus, designing an effective program, handling logistical issues, recruiting qualified staff, evaluating the program. (Contains 25 references.) (LMI)