Grants lead the way

Infusing more than $400,000 into Jackson County's schools - both public and private -  will help spread the success of Project Lead the Way this year.

Bud Walther of Community Foundation of Jackson County said $401,902 in a first of three rounds of grants totaling $600,000 will help schools adopt the technology program aimed at preparing students for higher education and career opportunities.

Grants from the Economic Opportunity 2015 initiative come at a time when Gov. Mitch Daniels is asking the Indiana General Assembly to approve a two-year budget with no overall increases in spending for K-12 education.

"We hope this is a good way to help schools as they're being challenged to present a more technology-based curriculum," Walther said Wednesday. "It's going to buy curriculum and it's going to help buy some technology and train teachers."

Walther said the three-year, $600,000 round of grants is the first step toward a $1.4 million project to develop technology-based curriculum in the county's schools.

The rest of the project includes creating a virtual network and making sure that the 21st Century Scholars program helps send area students to college tuition-free, Walther said.

"The virtual network ... will connect all of the schools and allow the use of the technology-based curriculum between all of the schools," Walther said.

"One teacher in Seymour or Brownstown could be teaching a class and the students would be at every school in the county that chose to participate," he added.

College bound

The other part of that phase includes encouraging more local students to attend college.

"We are working to create a project with regards to the 21st Century Scholars program, a great resource that's very underutilized," Walther said.  "This project would pair mentors with students (at the middle school level) to help them graduate and go to a state college tuition-free. We're leaving many, many dollars on the table by not making use of this program in Jackson County."

The state-sponsored scholars program signs up middle school students to commit to completing high school and remaining substance-free. In return, the students receive a free college education at a state school.

"Too often kids don't get signed up or often don't have someone encouraging them to complete school and go on to college," Walther said. "We will work with Big Brothers Big Sisters on this part of the program and create a support system."

The $800,000 needed for that second phase isn't in pocket, however.

"We'll have to find other grants and find community support," Walther said.

One way the Foundation and Jackson County Economic Development Corp. is working toward finding that funding is through a steering committee that's bringing educators and local industrial leaders to help lead the project and build a financial interest in its outcome.

"There's an interest in their helping fund it, but there is a wait-and-see with this first round to see that the skills they need are going to be taught in the schools," Walther said.

Another funding source being looked at is the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs, overseen by Lt. Gov. Becky Skillman's office.

Leading the way

The initial round of grants will allow introduction of Project Lead the Way into every high school and middle school in Jackson County that wants to include this opportunity in its curriculum, Walther said.

It's already found success at Seymour High School. Its technology lab was targeted last year as a project to replicate elsewhere in the county and across southeastern Indiana.

In Indiana, Project Lead the Way courses are those technology education classes designated by the Indiana Department of Education as part of a four-year sequence of technology-related courses.

When combined with college preparatory mathematics and science courses in high school, those courses introduce students to the scope, rigor and discipline of engineering and engineering technology before entering college.

Project Lead the Way addresses the educational needs of students planning to attend a two-year or four-year college leading to a career in engineering, science or manufacturing technology through a hands-on approach to 21st century technology, Walther said.

Project Lead the Way is now being offered to a limited number of students at Seymour High School. Its curriculum is critical to preparing students for a technology-focused career, Walther said.

Limited funding

Up to now, funding has not been available to acquire the curriculum, resources or teacher training to incorporate Project Lead the Way into already cash-strapped schools, Walther said.

"The Foundation believes that the introduction of Project Lead the Way across the county will have the single most important impact upon preparing Jackson County students for the 21st century workplace," he added.

Seymour Community Schools will receive $120,105 this year for the program, and over three years it will receive a total of $133,513. Jackson County Education Center will receive a three-year total of $4,035.

Medora Community Schools will get started with a $41,799 grant this year and a three-year total $87,840.

Crothersville Community Schools and Trinity Lutheran High School will receive $26,100 each over the three years.

Expanding opportunities

Currently the majority of the county's five high schools and middle schools offer traditional math and science courses. The high schools also offer a limited number of technology-related courses and lean heavily on vocational classes offered in Bedford and Columbus.

The exception to this norm is the Advanced Manufacturing lab at Seymour High School and the program of instruction taught by Sexton.

The introduction of Project Lead the Way offers the county's public and private schools the chance to begin upgrading their science and math curriculums to support the needs of area manufacturing and biotech employers.

The Seymour High School lab also offers students, workers and employers alike the chance to have a workforce prepared for the technology-based workplace by achieving Manufacturing Skills Standards Council certification.

This new grant will provide funding for additional and updated equipment to move the Seymour High School lab to the next level over the next few years. In addition, it will make MSSC certification available through all Jackson County high schools.

Desktop and laptop computers have become commonplace in today's manufacturing environments and school systems. But, at this point, those computers are often fully tasked and perhaps even optimized for non-math and non-science projects.

Thus, it is an integral part of this grant to upgrade the computer numbers and capacity of computer labs in each school.

The new computer capacity will be available in Crothersville High School, Trinity Lutheran High School, Seymour High School, Medora High School and Brownstown Central High School. These labs will support both Project Lead the Way and MSSC.

As part of this grant, the schools can expect to receive over three years:

Seymour Community Schools, three-year total $133,513, $120,105 first-year grant

Brownstown Central Community Schools, three-year total $269,501, $165,763 first-year grant

Medora Community Schools, three-year total $ 87,840, $ 41,799 first-year grant

Crothersville Community Schools, three-year total $ 26,100

Trinity Lutheran High School, three-year total $ 26,100

Jackson County Education Center, three-year total $ 4,035