Polis announces plans for federal Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Funds
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis today announced his plans to invest $33 million from the federal Governor’s Emergency Education Relief funds on grants to help K-12 public schools and higher education institutions prevent and address the “COVID slide” and support innovation and equity.
The new P-20 innovation fund will help schools address the learning challenges related to the economic, social, and health impacts of COVID-19 in a manner that creates lasting innovations and improved student learning across both pre-K-12 and higher education. These grants will focus on student-centered learning, rethinking the student experience, strengthening and formalizing linkages between higher education, PK-12, and industry, and catalyzing innovations that can drive long-term impact and be sustainable after the life of the grant.
In addition, the governor plans to increase funding by $5 million or $6 million to help Colorado Empowered Learning — the existing state-supported supplemental online and blended learning program operated by Colorado River BOCES — quickly expand capacity to help more school districts provide blended-instruction during the pandemic at low or no cost. As the statutorily defined “administering BOCES” for supplemental online and blended learning, the Colorado River BOCES has a foundation of expertise in supporting schools and districts with educating students in a way that incorporates both in-person and digital learning strategies. By expanding capacity for this work, schools and districts will have greater access to resources that will help them deliver on education for students that is adaptive both to in-person and remote digital learning.
CDE will provide more information soon on how districts can tap into these resources.
|
