University of Missouri College of Education officials announced today that two grants from the U.S Department of Education were given to the Enhancing Missouri’s Instructional Networked Technology Strategies (eMINTS). The two grants totaled to $18.6 million in federal funds and $3.8 million dollars in private sector matching funds. One of the grants is the largest grant in the history of the college. The money will be used to expand a technology professional development program to rural schools in Missouri and Kansas.
Christine Terry, director of the eMINTS national center at the College of Education, says eMINTS focuses on engaging students in classroom projects.
“We’re creating classrooms where kids are problem-solving,” she said. “They’re innovating, they’re collaborating and they’re doing this in a way that uses technology in a way that you and I might use in the workplace.”
One grant, a $14.6 million Supportive Effective Educator Development grant, will help MU increase STEM education in 56 high-need rural middle schools throughout the next five years.
The second grant, a $4 million Education Innovation and Research Award, aims to help the college implement prosocial and active learning in fifth grade math and science classrooms in seven districts in rural Missouri with high poverty rates.
Tyler Madsen, the assistant director of communications with the Missouri Department of Education says the department has been working to ensure Missouri students have the internet access they need to support digital learning in the classroom.
“The University of Missouri has been one of the leaders on it in virtual education and some of the opportunities to reach out to our rural schools,” he said. “This is hopefully something we could continue to work on with them and help provide this additional access for students in some of the rural areas of the state.”
Most classrooms are moving to one-to-one technology-to-student ratios. Madsen has been working with non-profits and the government to receive federal grants with the Missouri Department of Education to provide sustainable and affordable internet solutions for the rural schools.