Rural schools receive funding for computer science, writing and more

The U.S. Department of Education awarded a $4 million grant to Missouri State University to expand and improve computer science education programs in rural area schools.

The funding comes from the Education Innovation and Research (EIR) program. Missouri State received one of 20 awards from over 1,000 applicants. This is the largest collaborative grant the university has received.

“Computer science is increasingly becoming a foundational part of a student’s education. Unfortunately, too few students, especially in rural areas, have access to high-quality computer science education,” said U.S. Senator Roy Blunt (Mo.), chair of the appropriations subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor/HHS).

“This program will provide the tools, curriculum and technology to support 150 teachers and 13,500 students in rural areas. It will also build the evidence-base of what works to expand computer science education opportunities for rural students more broadly. This project will not only teach important STEM skills but inspire young minds.”

As chair of the Labor/HHS appropriations subcommittee, Blunt led the effort to include $65 million for STEM education, with a specific priority for computer science education and programs operating in rural areas, within the EIR program, in the committee’s FY2020 bill.