Allen County Schools has received a Career Connected High School grant award from the Biden-Harris Administration, as part of the first-ever Perkins Innovation and Modernization, Career Connected High Schools (CCHS) grant program. The grant awards $1,475,000 per year for five years, with years 4 and 5 contingent on progress during the first three years.
This grant, part of a $25 million investment issued by the U.S. Department of Education (Department), builds the capacity of education and workforce systems to partner with business and industry to develop new high-quality career-connected high school programs for more students. Grantees will leverage four evidence-based strategies, or “keys,” to help students in unlocking career success including: providing postsecondary education and career guidance; increasing access to dual or concurrent enrollment programs; increasing work-based learning opportunities; and providing industry-recognized credentials.
“President Biden understands that it’s time to invest in career-connected learning that will better prepare our young people for exciting careers and family-sustaining jobs in today’s most in-demand fields,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “We can transform the American high school experience and Raise the Bar for student engagement, achievement, and career-readiness in this country by providing all students with access to dual enrollment classes, work-based learning, industry credentials, and comprehensive career advising. The Biden-Harris Administration is going to keep on fighting to provide every student in every community with career-connected learning."
“As the Superintendent of Allen County Schools, I am excited about the possibilities that the Perkins Innovation and Modernization, Career Connected High Schools grant program brings to our school community," noted Travis Hamby. "This investment is not only a significant win for our students, but also a transformative moment for our community. Building upon our already fabulous Career Technical Education program, this grant will allow us to strengthen our collaboration with business and industry partners, as well as enhance and add programming that aligns with the needs of our community, providing our students with valuable experiences and pathways. We are excited to personalize learning experiences further, preparing our students for success in meaningful careers.”
The grant is part of the Department’s
Raise the Bar: Unlocking Career Success initiative, aimed at helping young Americans access good-paying jobs created by President Biden’s Investing in America through seeding and scaling promising models of innovation. The CCHS grant program is the first in the Department’s history intended to build capacity and coordination among secondary and postsecondary education, workforce development systems, and other community partners to expand access to career-connected high school programs for more students, with a focus on increasing access to high-quality pathways for underserved students.
Allen County Schools was one of 19 out of more than 160 eligible applications from 43 states and the District of Columbia received by the Department.
See attachment for the Grant Narrative and more information.