U.S. Department of Education Announces Over dollar220 Million Dollars in Investments from Government, Private, and Public Sector
Categories: US Education News
Today, the Department of Education announced major actions and investments from government, the private sector, and nonprofit organizations to support student academic and mental health recovery as part of the Department’s broader effort to help students, schools, and communities recover from the pandemic and reemerge stronger. The announcements highlight how the American Rescue Plan has funded efforts to help students recover academically through summer learning and enrichment, and enhanced educational and mental health supports in districts across the country; how philanthropic partners are investing additional resources to help American Rescue Plan dollars stretch even further; and how the Department is leveraging over $160 million of its own grant funding to propel academic and mental health recovery for K-12 students across the country. The announcements will be made at the Department’s American Rescue Plan Summit, “From Recovery to Thriving,” broadcast on Department of Education channels at 5 p.m. ET, Wednesday, April 27, 2022, and held in partnership with the National Public Education Support Fund. Today’s announcements leading into the ARP Recovery Summit include:
In addition to helping states and districts use American Rescue Plan funds to help students recover academically and access the mental health support they need, the Department also will focus this year’s Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program on projects that develop, implement, replicate, and scaleup strategies to support learning recovery and student well-being related to the impact of COVID-19, including projects that address accelerated learning. Authorized under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the EIR program encourages field-initiated innovations that improve student achievement and attainment for underserved students. The Department will open its application process for the EIR program, providing $160 million in funding for five-year grants, prioritizing those that generate and support innovations that will help overcome the challenges to student opportunity and success exacerbated by the pandemic.
Under Secretary Cardona’s leadership, the Department will fund approximately 15 to 35 projects, giving priority to projects that develop, implement, replicate, or scaleup strategies that support learning recovery and student well-being related to the impact of the pandemic, including accelerated learning. Projects that also increase student access to student-centered and project-based learning and advanced coursework also will be prioritized, as well as projects that close gaps in educational opportunities, projects that increase student access to Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), and projects that support student social and emotional well-being.