February is Career and Technical Education (CTE) month, and school districts in the Educational Service District 123 CTE Cooperative are celebrating the more than $280,000 of CTE grant funding received in total for the 2022-2023 school year. Columbia, Kiona-Benton City, and North Franklin School Districts are improving their CTE offerings thanks to grants from Career Connect Washington, the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the Washington State STEM Education Foundation, and Northwest Farm Credit Services
The ESD 123 CTE Cooperative received a $200,000 Career Prep grant from Career Connect Washington to further improve the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program at North Franklin School District and replicate it in Columbia and Kiona-Benton City School Districts. The CDL program prepares students to leave high school ready to meet the local and national demand for qualified licensed truck drivers.
Each of the three school districts in the cooperative also received competitive Perkins Reserve Grants from OSPI, on top of federal Carl D. Perkins grant funding. These grants will help schools fund CTE classes with necessary equipment and supplies, and provide professional development training for CTE teachers as they equip their students with the relevant technical skills to be college and career ready. Additionally, Columbia School District received grants from the Washington State STEM Education Foundation, Northwest Farm Credit Services, and OSPI to support a new high school Agriculture, Power, and Technology course.
Keeley Gant, Director for Career and Technical Education, applied for and oversees CTE grants on behalf of the school districts in the ESD 123 CTE Cooperative. For more information, please contact Keeley Gant at 509-222-7306 or
[email protected].