The Culver Community Schools is one of 30 school districts in Indiana named as a recipient of a grant obtained by the Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) through the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. The $4.8 million grant will fund devises and broadband connectivity across nine Education Service Centers and 23 school districts in rural areas across the State of Indiana, as well as effective online instruction in a total of 30 districts across the state.
The Center of Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL) at the University of Indianapolis will partner with Central Indiana Education Service Center (CIESC) during the next two years to disburse the funds and arrange for training. In addition to providing broadband for rural areas that frequently lack high-speed internet access, $3.3 million in funds will be used to connect families to the internet as well as to buy equipment such as laptops for students and teachers. The additional $1.5 million is supporting professional development for teachers in the 30 local districts.
The $4.8 million awarded to CELL is one of the larger amounts distributed by the State of Indiana from the $61.6 million in GEER funding that the State received from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. CELL organized the group of districts to allow them to benefit from cooperative purchasing of devices and professional development for their staff as a networked group. The funds allow the Governor’s Office to provide support to local educational agencies and institutions of higher education with an application focused on developing and improving the availability of remote learning techniques and technologies.
