US Gov Grants $14M in First Diverse School Program

The U.S. Department of Education (Department) has made $14 million in awards to help support local- and state-driven voluntary efforts to foster more diverse school communities through its first-ever Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Program. These grants, in alignment with the Department’s Raise the Bar: Lead the World call to action, support districts as they work to enrich educational experiences by providing every student with a well-rounded education and improved school conditions for student learning, inclusive of a broader perspective on the world.

“Every student in America deserves access to a high-quality education, but persistent racial and socioeconomic isolation in our schools continues to result in inadequate resources, lesser access to advanced courses, fewer extracurricular offerings, and other tangible inequities that disproportionately impact students of color and students from low-income backgrounds at every stage of their educational journeys and throughout their lives,” said U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona. “President Biden always says that diversity is America’s greatest strength, and that is incredibly clear in the classroom, where research shows that students of all backgrounds benefit from learning in diverse environments. Our Fostering Diverse Schools Grant program will support innovative, locally-driven efforts to Raise the Bar for academic achievement and learning conditions in our schools by providing more students with more diverse, more equitable, and ultimately, more enriching learning opportunities.”

This grant announcement comes as schools and classrooms have become increasingly more separated along lines of socioeconomic status, race, and ethnicity. Yet, we know that diverse schools and classrooms can benefit every student, regardless of their race or background. The new Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration program will support voluntary efforts by local school districts to increase school socioeconomic diversity, including by providing new or expanded access to schoolwide specialized academic programs, unique program options, or analyzing the location and capacity of facilities to promote socioeconomic school diversity. This new program further delivers on President Biden’s day-one executive order, to advance racial equity and support for underserved communities through the federal government.

Earlier this year, the Department released a report on State of School Diversity in the United States, showing that schools that are isolated along racial or socioeconomic lines often have less access to critical resources and funding. These conditions can perpetuate gaps in opportunity that can limit the chance for underserved students to grow and excel academically. The Department received applications from eligible entities in over 20 states and made 14 new awards for this inaugural cohort of Fostering Diverse Schools grantees. Recipients have committed to working closely with families, students, communities, and school diversity plans through a variety of activities. For example, grantees will engage with students, families, community leaders and staff to better understand the needs of their school communities and how to best address them. Other grantees will provide professional development to support educators who work in under resourced schools and communities. Across the board, grantees will implement well-rounded learning opportunities to expand access to high-quality instruction and enrichment.

The Department’s Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) also aims to foster greater diversity in schools. MSAP provided grants to eligible local education agencies to establish and operate innovative magnet schools, attract a diverse group of students, and help desegregate public schools. The Department awarded $92 million to 16 grantees through MSAP this year. Together with the Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Program, the Department invested more than $100 million in the past fiscal year in support of school diversity and equitable access to high-quality education that prepares students to succeed academically in diverse learning environments.

New Awards:

Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Program – Planning Grants

Fostering Diverse Schools Demonstration Program – Implementation Grants

Magnet Schools Assistance Program Grants