Norwalk Receives Grant To Fund Dual-Credit Courses At Its High Schools

NORWALK, CT — Norwalk Public Schools recently received a grant of $90,000, the full amount requested, to help supplement the cost of college credit courses to be able to provide dual-credit courses at the high school level, district officials announced.

The money is from the state’s Dual Credit Expansion Grant program, which is funded through the federal American Rescue Plan Act. It will provide fiscal support to dual credit coursework that the state says has "documented positive impacts on high school and college outcomes."

Under the effort, the district is offering courses that allow students to get a head start on accumulating college credits while still in high school.

"We are so appreciative to the state for fulfilling the totality of our $90,000 grant request," said Norwalk Superintendent of Schools Dr. Alexandra Estrella in a statement. "This funding allows Norwalk Public Schools to continue to offer integral dual credit courses that allow our high school students to have a head start on their college degree."

This grant award will be used toward expanding the district's existing partnerships in concurrent enrollment, dovetailed with a mentorship program with the Carver Foundation sharing a goal of improving the educational landscape for all students, officials said.

From the announcement:

The staff at the Carver Foundation are exceptionally gifted in working with young people and have a genuine interest in influencing the next generation.

The program is not just about helping students succeed in school; it is also about building character, encouraging leadership and encouraging development. Additionally, we plan to survey all the high school teachers in the district to gauge who would like to be credentialed as an adjunct professor in their content area. Once the results are in, we can look to match staff credential requests with current partnerships. Possibilities include ENG 101, and HIS 201 at Brien McMahon, Center for Global Studies and Norwalk High School through NCC. Further, we would like to offer the AWS Cloud Foundations and Google IT Certifications through NCC to all four high schools.