Richland School District has been selected by the Pennsylvania Department of Education for a PAsmart Targeted K12 Computer Science and STEM Education grant in the amount of $35,000. These funds will be used for the purchase of educational technology and for staff training and professional development.
Over the next decade, seven in 10 new jobs in Pennsylvania will require workers to use a computer and an estimated 300,000 STEM jobs will be available in the commonwealth by 2026. To meet this projected demand, Governor Tom Wolf launched PAsmart, a new initiative to invest in the commonwealth's existing and future workforce. PAsmart is built on recommendations of Governor Wolf's Middle-Class Task Force, comprised of business, labor, education, and workforce development leaders. The task force concluded there are jobs without trained people to fill them and some workers need new skills, but a four-year degree is not for everyone and a one-size-fits-all approach will not work.
Grant information is available on the Pennsylvania Department of Education website at https://www.education.pa.gov/Policy-Funding/SchoolGrants/PAsmart/Pages/default.aspx. For further information contact: Brandon Bailey, RSD Director of Educational Services at 814-269-2399.