GRAND ISLAND, Neb. (AP) - A south-central Nebraska school district has been awarded a $6 million federal grant to help students prepare for postsecondary education.
The Grand Island Public Schools announced Monday that the district received the seven-year matching grant from Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs, or GEAR UP, The Grand Island Independent reported.
The district’s in-kind contributions and partner matches bring the grant’s total impact to more than $13.6 million.
Sen. Deb Fischer said the funding will allow Grand Island “to provide early intervention services including mentoring, tutoring, academic and career counseling, college preparation and services to increase parental involvement.”
Grand Island is the first district in Nebraska to receive a GEAR UP grant, according to Josh McDowell, the district’s chief transformation officer.
McDowell said the grant will help district officials introduce college and career readiness as early as middle school. He said the grant program will target students at Barr and Walnut middle schools, which meet a certain percentage of low-income students to qualify.
“This will give access to our students and will open doors that will lead them to the path that they will be prepared to enter, sustain and complete the journey of their choice,” Superintendent Tawana Grover said. “Through the GEAR UP grant, we will provide 360-degree support for students, teachers and parents.”
District officials will use the money to give students personalized academic support and to offer families increased financial literacy education and planning, she said. District staff will also receive expanded professional development and training.
These efforts will help the district “create a pipeline of success,” Grover said.
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Information from: The Grand Island Independent, http://www.theindependent.com
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