Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Project Innovation summer program expands to serve ~380 students; renewal of federal grant uncertain
Loading...
Summary
Project Innovation, an inclusive K'8 summer program that is free to families, has grown to about 380 students in 23 classes. The program is funded by the federal 21st Century grant (five-year cycle, approximately $425,000), and committee members asked finance to plan in case the grant is not renewed.
The committee received an update on Project Innovation, the district's inclusive K'8 summer program that provides free summer learning and supports.
Presenters said Project Innovation expanded from fewer than 100 students in its first year to about 380 students last year, organized into 23 classes and designed to be heterogeneous and inclusive. The program partners with community organizations including Circus Culture and the Ithaca Children's Garden. Applications for the upcoming summer will be released to caregivers, and the district is still determining a centrally located facility large enough to host the program.
Funding for Project Innovation comes primarily from a federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant, which runs on five-year cycles. Presenters said the grant cycle is robust but not guaranteed; the district will need contingency plans if federal funding is not renewed in future cycles. A committee member asked whether the finance committee could plan for the program if the grant is not renewed; presenters said the finance team would be involved in contingency planning for the 2027 grant cycle.
Presenters also noted Project Innovation serves as a professional learning lab: teachers can observe and debrief instructional strategies during the summer, and the program has been used as a grow-your-own pipeline by employing high school students as classroom buddies.
