The U.S. Department of Education announced the recipients of the Innovation & Modernization Grant, a Perkins V program that funds career and technical education (CTE).
The I&M Grant is designed to test new ideas to help prepare students for success in the workforce by identifying, supporting, and evaluating evidence-based strategies for improving CTE. The grants are also designed to ensure workforce skills taught in CTE programs funded under Perkins V align with local labor market needs.
Grantees will create, develop, implement, replicate, or scale evidence-based innovations that modernize CTE, increase program effectiveness and alignment, and improve student outcomes. Grant funds under this competition may be used for a broad range of approaches including designing new courses, building capacity in computer science and coding, creating work-based learning opportunities for students, and integrating science and math content in applied courses.
Of the 64 eligible applications reviewed for this competition, nine grant recipients received the highest ranking from panels made up of reviewers with expertise in CTE, alignment of CTE programs to address labor market needs, and STEM. Three of the funded projects are serving rural communities, a priority because rural communities often have fewer resources and less ability to innovate in the ways that the I&M grants encourage. All nine projects will serve students in Qualified Opportunity Zones. Each of the nine grantees will receive funding for the first year of a three-year project period.
Grantees include:
| Grantee | Year 1 award | 3-year grant total |
|---|---|---|
| Lorain County Community College District, OH (Rural) | $165,835 | $497,505 |
| Research Foundation CUNY, NY | $135,623 | $490,327 |
| Old Dominion Research Foundation, VA | $140,866 | $450,000 |
| School Board Miami-Dade County, FL | $199,998 | $500,000 |
| Multnomah-Portland Public Schools, OR | $166,666 | $500,000 |
| Gwinnett County Public Schools, GA | $151,594 | $498,568 |
| Wyoming Department of Education, WY (Rural) | $55,938 | $489,714 |
| Orange County, CA | $307,111 | $448,936 |
| Northeast State Community College, TN (Rural) | $164,590 | $473,935 |
| Total | $1,488,221 | $4,348,985 |
More information about each grantee’s project can be found on the Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education’s Perkins Collaborative Research Network.