The Washington School Board learned that the Department of Education has awarded Washington Schools with two grants that will enable the expansion of innovative programming.
The first grant is a 3-E grant (for Explore, Engage, and Experience). Washington will receive $352,000 to expand its career pathways programs. Assistant Superintendent Steve Peterson said the grant will enable the local schools to expand their nationally recognized Project Lead the Way program.
Peterson said the school system will be able to purchase 10 new welders, digital photography equipment, drones, and robotic arms. The program will also allow the school system to expand the highly regarded Kids at Hope program to all elementary students.
Washington also received an IDOE grant that will allow primary schools to establish a foreign language immersion program. The program will begin at the kindergarten level and expand year by year up to the sixth grade as part of Indiana’s Dual Language Immersion Pilot Program.
Washington will be one of only 21 school systems in the state to offer parents the opportunity to request admission to the program. The program provides a student with a special dynamic curriculum in English and a second language. Schools can choose to learn either French, Chinese, Spanish or another language approved by the Indiana Department of Education.
