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RPS is a Recipient of the 2020-2021 Perkins reVISION Action Grant
Ralston Public Schools is honored to be one of the recipients of the 2020-2021 Perkins reVISION Action Grant. The Nebraska State Board of Education awarded reVISION grants to schools across the state to help develop Nebraska’s talent pipelines for economic growth and workforce development while strengthening high school Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
Ralston Public Schools received $77,000 to enhance opportunities in CTE programs such as manufacturing, automotive, culinary, and the Ralston Middle School CTE program.
“I am extremely excited about our District receiving this grant,” said Dr. Josh Wilken, Career Education and EL Coordinator - Ralston Public Schools. “It was a really competitive grant, and I felt we had a strong application related to the goals of our programs. The work we are doing is extremely valuable! This grant will allow us to take our programs to the next level.”
Funding from the reVISION Action Grant will provide additional opportunities for students in a variety of ways in the following curriculum areas.
Manufacturing - Update software and work with Baileigh Industrial to formally train District teachers on the current Ralston High School CNC machine and software. (Computer Numerical Control (CNC) machining is a manufacturing process in which pre-programmed computer software dictates the movement of factory tools and machinery. The process can control a range of complex machinery, from grinders and lathes to mills and routers.)
District students enrolled in engineering and design classes will be able to collaborate and work together on projects using the CNC machine.
Another addition to the manufacturing program will be four new welding machines - Mig, Tig, and Arc welding. These new weldings machines will allow our students to be more competitive in Skills USA competitions and better prepare them for a potential job and post-secondary education opportunities.
Automotive - Ralston Public Schools Automotive program will move closer to receiving an ASE Accreditation. This grant will help make this happen with the purchase of some new equipment, cover the cost of the ASE membership fee, internal and external audits, and the purchase of a new roll-on vehicle lift for the school’s garage to support student work in automotive courses.
Culinary - The construction of a mobile greenhouse. This project will help enhance the goals with our work-based learning curriculum, taking the school-based enterprise program one step further. It will provide students a better perspective on food science and agriculture, allowing them to grow their own food, gain a better idea of the farm to table concept, and introduce a curriculum around marketing, entrepreneurship, and menu design.
Ralston Middle School CTE - RPS teachers will use this grant for some paid work hours to collaborate across grades 7-12 in CTE and analyze courses in skilled technical sciences, family consumer sciences, career exploration, and business to make sure they are aligned to District standards.
This process will make sure our middle school students are prepared to take specific CTE classes in high school. It will also help generate ideas and strategies to make sure students are aware of all the different course offerings, as well as career opportunities in each of the six career fields.
Only activities aligned with high-skill, high-wage, and high-demand occupations are considered for the Perkins reVISION Action Grant program funding. Eleven grants were awarded statewide this year, supporting 12 districts and two colleges for a total of $911,763.
Funds for the action grants are provided by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, Reserve Funds, and Statewide Leadership Funds.
Click on the following link for more information about the reVISION grants - https://www.education.ne.gov/nce/revision.html.