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Biden-Harris Administration Broadcasts States to Obtain $190 Million to Enhance Well being, Security, and Decrease Vitality Prices in Ok-12 Public Colleges Throughout America
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In help of the Biden-Harris administration’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Division of Vitality (DOE) immediately introduced choices for the 2024 Renew America’s Colleges Prize and Grant, a three-phase, $190 million funding to assist Ok-12 public faculties make vitality upgrades that may lower vitality use and prices, enhance indoor air high quality, and foster more healthy studying environments for college students and lecturers. DOE recognized 21 phase-one winners who will earn a $300,000 money prize for his or her work constructing groups and figuring out services with compelling wants for enhancements. As well as, 16 of those prize winners will advance to the subsequent phases and enter cooperative agreements with DOE for as much as $15 million in awards, with plans to spend money on 320 faculty services throughout 25 states and straight benefitting over 123,000 college students and 9,100 lecturers.
“Schools are the centers of our communities, and the need for investment in our children’s learning environments is key to ensure their overall well-being and ultimate success.” mentioned U.S. Secretary of Vitality Jennifer M. Granholm. “With today’s funding, DOE is creating new pathways for districts and partners so thousands of students can learn in safe, sustainable schools creating a healthy environment for all.”
“Our nation’s schools – including classrooms, buildings, and operations – are essential to taking on the climate crisis as we work to both reduce pollution and create safer, healthier learning environments for children, especially in the face of new weather extremes like record, climate-fueled heat waves,” mentioned White Home Nationwide Local weather Advisor Ali Zaidi. “Under the leadership of President Biden and Vice President Harris, this Administration is continuing to implement the nation’s first comprehensive strategy for climate-smart schools, providing historic new tools to enable bold climate progress across the country – including the investments announced today. These grants will go a long way toward upgrading our nation’s classrooms with innovative solutions, from installing clean energy technologies that lower costs to installing new HVAC systems that improve indoor air quality, and they will create good paying union jobs at the same time.”
DOE acknowledges the numerous impacts of wholesome and secure services for college students, lecturers, and directors. Poor indoor environmental high quality can improve diseases and absences and reduce educational efficiency; lighting influences cognition and educational efficiency, and so does thermal consolation. Over the previous decade, the mix of temperature will increase and both poorly geared up or poorly maintained vitality infrastructure has doubled the frequency of faculty closures as a result of warmth in lots of areas of the nation, creating well being and financial ripple results for whole communities.
The 16 selectees are partnering with over 100 entities, together with subrecipient native instructional businesses (LEAs), consultants, vitality service corporations, utility corporations, state and native authorities places of work, financing companions, labor unions, and federally funded analysis and improvement facilities. Total, 55 LEAs will profit from these funds.
Selectees for Prize & Cooperative Settlement:
- Alaska Municipal League & 3 LEAs (AK)
- Canton Metropolis Faculty District (OH)
- Constitution Colleges Growth Company & 13 LEAs (AZ, GA, IN, MI, MN, MO, NM, NY, NV, OH)
- Irvington Public Colleges (NJ)
- Little Rock Faculty District (AR)
- Lowell Public Colleges (MA)
- Marion County Faculty District (SC)
- Miami-Dade County Public Colleges (FL)
- Omni Vitality Companions LLC & 9 LEAs (IL)
- Oregon Division of Schooling & 7 LEAs (OR)
- Pittsburgh Public Colleges & 1 LEA (PA)
- Raza Growth Fund, Inc & 11 LEAs (AZ, CA, MN, NM, TX, NY, WA)
- Richmond Public Colleges (VA)
- Rockingham County Colleges (NC)
- Saint Louis Public Colleges (MO)
- Wichita Public Colleges (KS)
Prize Winners:
- Broward County Public Colleges (FL)
- Chicago Public Colleges (IL)
- Hoke County Colleges (NC)
- Faculty District of Philadelphia (PA)
- West Kentucky Academic Cooperative (KY)
Delivering on DOE’s Dedication to Wholesome Studying Environments
The 2024 Renew America’s Colleges Prize and Grant will help vitality enchancment tasks like new heating, air flow and air con programs, constructing envelope and lighting upgrades, various gasoline (akin to electrical) autos and infrastructure, and renewable vitality applied sciences. In alignment with the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 Initiative to place environmental and financial justice on the heart of America’s transition to a net-zero economic system, undertaking advantages – together with well being advantages from improved indoor air high quality, improved thermal consolation, higher lighting, and price financial savings from decreased vitality expenditures – will circulation to deprived communities which can be marginalized by underinvestment and overburdened with air pollution. 100% of Selectees are supporting recognized deprived communities), and 71% of funded faculty services are in recognized deprived communities; 94% serve populations by which greater than 50% of scholars qualify for Free-and-Decreased-Worth-Lunch (FRPL), and 88% serve populations by which greater than 75% of scholars qualify for FRPL. Forty-four % of Selectee portfolios embody faculties in a rural locale, and 19% embody faculties that serve Tribes.
The 2024 Renew America’s Colleges Prize and Grant helps the Investing in America Agenda, creating well-paying jobs and upskilling the American workforce whereas constructing infrastructure to help a net-zero economic system. Eighty-eight % of Selectees will provide workforce coaching by diversified mechanisms, together with community-based apprenticeships, pre-apprenticeship and apprenticeship readiness packages, college packages, and job-shadowing. Sixty-three % of Selectees have made commitments to interact native labor, and 63% cited particular labor unions with whom they intend to associate. Forty-four % have made commitments to interact, associate, or contract with community-based organizations, Tribal entities, women-focused packages or ladies companies enterprises, minority enterprise enterprises, and/or veteran enterprise enterprises.
This announcement builds on the Biden-Harris Administration’s broader dedication to make sure that America’s kids have what they should thrive within the classroom. For the reason that Biden-Harris Motion Plan for Constructing Higher Faculty Infrastructure was first introduced in April 2022, the administration’s historic legislative accomplishments proceed to ship safer, more healthy, and extra environmentally sustainable studying environments for America’s kids, whereas saving faculty districts cash, creating good jobs, and combatting local weather change. The Renew America’s Colleges Program performed an integral function within the White Home Summit for Sustainable and Wholesome Ok-12 Faculty Buildings and Grounds, which came about in April 2024, and the Program continues to catalyze sector change by growing and curating sources, convening stakeholders, and funding tasks that show scalable and replicable fashions for college vitality enhancements.
The 2024 Renew America’s Colleges Prize and Grant is the second spherical of funding from the Renew America’s Colleges Program, a first-of-its-kind, $500 million program funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Regulation (BIL). Established in 2022 as a part of the Biden-Harris Motion Plan for Constructing Higher Faculty Infrastructure, the Renew America’s Colleges Program helps faculties throughout the nation make vitality upgrades that may lower vitality use and prices, enhance indoor air high quality, and foster more healthy studying environments.
Go to 2024 Renew America’s Colleges Prize and Grant webpage to be taught extra about Winners and Selectees. For instruments, sources, and different alternatives, go to the Renew America’s Colleges Program web page or be a part of our mailing checklist.Contact us at faculties@doe.gov. DOE anticipates opening functions for a 3rd spherical of funding in Fall 2025.
Courtesy of U.S. Division of Vitality
