Georgia Institutions Share $4.5 Million in Grants
Eighteen
educational institutions and groups in Georgia will
share $4.5 million over the next two years to improve student
achievement in
the state.
Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has announced
the award winners of
the Innovation
Fund, a competitive grant program.
The fund began as part of Georgia's Race to the Top campaign
to improve education. It is funded by both the state government and
philanthropies.
The program is intended to serve several different
priorities:
- Applied
learning
with a focus on science, technology, engineering and math education;
- Development
of
blended learning school models;
- Development
of
innovative resource management models; and
- Professional
development
for teachers.
As an example, a $10,000 award will go to the New Hope
Education Center in Dallas, GA, to plan a blended learning
program that will
target students who have not been successful in the traditional high
school
environment.
"I am confident these funds will give our schools and
groups
devoted to education the opportunity to focus on applied learning
techniques
and STEM development," said Deal. "Together, we can help every Georgia
student
experience an innovative enriching educational environment."
The award amounts and timing of the release of the
funds
depends on the stage at which the winning project is. For instance,
planning
grants (like the one New Hope is getting) will give winning institutions
$10,000 over the next year. Those who are in the implementation stage
will get
$1 million over two years and the groups and schools who want to scale
up
projects already in place will get $200,000 over two years.
About the Author
Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.