In Pennsylvania: More Than $5 Million Available for Schools to Increase STEM and Computer Science Programming
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) announced the availability of PAsmart Advancing Grants to expand access to computer science and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for learners across the commonwealth.
“STEM and computer science skills prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow, no matter what zip code they come from or where they plan to live in the future,” said Education Secretary Khalid Mumin. “Pennsylvania’s future depends on the development of a highly skilled workforce able to compete in the global economy. Equitable access to STEM and computer science programs gives students the skills they need to chart their own course and succeed.”
The grant package has the three following elements:
- PAsmart Career and Technical Education Distressed Schools Collaboration Grants for up to $75,000, which support collaboration between schools and a local or regional career and technical education provider.
- PAsmart Career and Technical Education Planning Grants for up to $75,000, which help communities design and plan local and/or regional approaches to expanding Career and Technical education in STEM and computer science.
- PAsmart Career and Technical Education Innovation Grants for up to $500,000, which expand access to and inclusion in career and technical education computer science and STEM experiences for both students and adults.
These grants support high-quality STEM and computer science learning and professional development opportunities in communities across Pennsylvania, including within early learning centers, libraries, out-of-school time providers, career and technical centers, post-secondary institutions, and K-12 schools.
The Center for Workforce Information and Analysis at the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry has projected that by 2028, there will be about 157,000 more occupations in Pennsylvania that require mathematics knowledge (representing 65 percent of all employment in the commonwealth), and about 125,000 more occupations that require knowledge in computers and electronics (representing 54 percent of all employment).
The Shapiro Administration is creating real opportunity for Pennsylvanians. Since taking office, the Administration has increased investment in career and technical education by $53.5 million – and that’s on top of a more than $1.6 billion dollar increase in funding for K-12 public education.
Last year, PDE announced that CTE entities, including those in school districts and charter schools, could apply to create new programs to prepare students for careers in education, as well as more than $30 million to expand CTE in the classroom and increase apprenticeship opportunities. Additionally, the 2024-25 budget granted PDE the ability to issue CTE Intern Certificates and CTE Instructional I Certificates to individuals with work experience in the subject matter they would teach in a CTE program to help put more qualified CTE teachers into classrooms.
Tags: state policy, STEM
