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Paducah schools to host regional nuclear workforce programming after $1.9M award; $75,000 Spark grant funds transition services
Summary
Paducah Public Schools will host regional nuclear energy workforce programming through a $1.9 million West Kentucky Education Co‑op grant, bringing STEM modules and VR equipment to Paducah Middle; the district also won a $75,000 Kentucky Department of Education Spark grant to bolster transition services for students with disabilities.
Paducah Public Schools will become a regional site for hands‑on nuclear energy workforce training after the West Kentucky Education Co‑op awarded a $1.9 million grant, a district presenter said at the school board meeting. Christina McDow of the Paducah Innovation Hub told the board the award will expand project‑based learning and bring new equipment and professional development to multiple grade levels.
"I'm Christina McDow. I have the pleasure of working at the Paducah Innovation Hub," McDow said as she described how grant funds will be used. She said Paducah Middle School will receive 12 Paxton Patterson STEM modules and six virtual‑reality headsets to provide roughly 120 hours of engineering and technical career instruction, plus professional development for teachers.
The grant will allow students across an 11‑county region in western Kentucky to visit the Innovation Hub for project‑based learning aligned to careers in nuclear energy, McDow said. She added that the funding will update maker‑space technology and expand hands‑on opportunities for middle and high school students.
In a separate award, Paducah Public Schools was one of 20 districts in the state selected for the Kentucky Department of Education’s Spark grant, receiving $75,000 to strengthen transition services for students with disabilities. McDow described planned uses including a districtwide professional development day on transition topics (Medicaid waivers, guardianship, family advocacy), a parent transition night, summer work experiences with employment specialists, and transition assessments to identify students’ strengths and goals.
"These partnerships position Paducah Public Schools and Paducah Innovation Hub as both leaders in workforce development and transition services across Western Kentucky," McDow said.
Board members and the presenter emphasized that the grants are primarily for curriculum, staff training, equipment, and partnership activities rather than immediate changes to district policy. No formal vote was required at the meeting; the items were presented for information and future implementation planning.
Officials said the nuclear workforce grant complements ongoing clean‑energy and STEM investments and anticipates regional career opportunities in energy and construction. The district did not provide a full multi‑year budget breakdown at the meeting; McDow said more implementation details and timelines would be shared as programs are scheduled.
