Gov. Nixon announces grants for new technology to assist students, teachers in Missouri schools

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - Gov. Jay Nixon today announced that $4 million in grant funding has been awarded to 14 Missouri school districts to help fund technology in the classroom and expand technology-based teaching methods. Recipients were selected from districts that participated in a competitive application process administered by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Using federal funds provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the education technology grant program is designed to improve instructional strategies and student achievement through eMINTS (enhancing Missouri's Instructional Networked Teaching Strategies) or other research-based instructional models. Most grant recipients will use the funds to enhance or add new computers and technology to their classrooms, or for teacher training to allow more students to receive instruction through technology-based methods.

"Even in the face of tremendous budget challenges, my administration has made education of Missouri's children a top priority by fully funding the foundation formula and by providing a record number of dollars for K through 12 schools in our state," said Gov. Nixon. "These education technology grants allow Missouri to invest even more greatly in our schools. With more than $4 million going to districts across the state, more of our children will be able to make use of 21st century technology in the classroom and get instruction from educators skilled in using that technology."

St. Louis City schools will receive $393,734 in new funding through the education technology grant program, with two districts in St. Louis County receiving a total of $368,346. Gov. Nixon announced the statewide grant awards today during a visit to Carnahan High School of the Future in St. Louis. Joined by U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan and representatives of U.S. Rep. Lacy Clay and school officials, the Governor toured several areas of the school in which special technology is utilized in the instructional process.

Among the technology previewed by Gov. Nixon was a Mac computer laboratory used for multimedia technology learning, as well as a Project Lead the Way room which uses Promethean Technology - or smart whiteboard systems - to assist in the teaching process. Grants received by St. Louis schools will be used to implement eMINTS professional development to help teachers use new teaching strategies enhanced by cutting-edge technologies in the classroom.

"We must grab onto any advantage we can in educating Missouri's children, and the technology used by teachers in schools like Carnahan High School gives us a powerful tool for investing in our state's human capital," Gov. Nixon said. "Today's grant awards are a down payment on the training of the next generation of Missouri workers."

The following districts will receive grant funding in the following amounts: