MPS earns $35.6 million in competitive grants to support students, highest total in 3 years

Head Start in MPS. Photo courtesy of MPS.

MILWAUKEE (August 20, 2015) – Students and families in Milwaukee Public Schools will see strong early childhood education opportunities, initiatives to improve school climate, funds to improve student achievement, continued support for strong before- and after-school programs and improved arts education thanks to $35.6 million in competitive grant awards earned by the district.

The total is the highest the district has seen in three years.

“We are always looking for effective ways to support our students’ learning, particularly as we have seen state and federal resources become more limited,” MPS Superintendent Dr. Darienne Driver said. “Grants play a key role in those efforts. We’re proud of the results and continue to strive for funding to support what our children need.”

The grant awards received for programming in the 2015-16 school year include:

• $8.4 million for Head Start early childhood education
• An additional $8.4 million continuation grant for programs
• $3.6 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Education for the Resilient Kids project which works with students, families, staff and community-based partners to develop better resolution skills that will improve classroom climate
• $3.4 million Title I Supplemental Grant to provide funds and resources to help improve student achievement in Title I schools, which serve large numbers of students from lower-income families
• $2.6 million for 21st Century Community Learning Centers programs from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to support continued before- and after-school programs that provide students with academic enrichment and youth development activities designed to complement regular academic programs.
• $1.2 million for professional development for arts educators from the U.S. Department of Education to improve the knowledge and skills of arts and non-arts educators to support high-quality arts education and integration in 70 kindergarten-through-12th grade classrooms in high-poverty, low-achieving schools

To ensure that MPS students continue to benefit from grant support, the MPS Division of Grants Development is offering grant writing workshops for MPS staff along with an online grant writing course.

About Milwaukee Public Schools

Milwaukee Public Schools is committed to accelerating student achievement, building positive relationships between youth and adults and cultivating leadership at all levels. The district’s commitment to improvement continues to show results:

• More MPS students are meeting reading standards
• The MPS Class of 2015 earned $39 million in scholarships; and
• MPS is home to 7 of the state’s top high schools according to U.S. News and World Report and the Washington Post.

Learn more about MPS by visiting our website. More MPS news is available at mpsmke.com/news.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.

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