Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette

HOUGHTON COUNTY – The Michigan Dept. of Education (MDE) announced last week that more than $24.2 million in CTE expansion grants have been awarded to 56 school districts across the state.

The three-year competitive grants are designed to expand student access to high-quality CTE programs aligned with high-skill, high-wage and in-demand occupations–particularly in CTE deserts and districts with demonstrated opportunity gaps, according to an MDE statement.

Fourteen UP applicants will receive funding for 17 new state-approved CTE programs to help meet rising student demand and regional labor needs as a result of the grants, according the Copper Country Intermediate School District. Five of the districts are in the CCISD.

Public Engagement Specialist David Sim with the CCISD, said the state-funded CTE initiative focused on middle school students is the first of its kind. “CTE programs have typically been reserved for high school students, but this funding opens the door to middle school CTE exposure in Michigan for the first time, an opportunity many states still do not offer,” Sim said.

The initiative intends to attract younger students, particularly in the U.P, Sim said, where a wave of funding for 11 out of 17 new CTE programs in the U.P. will be dedicated to providing middle schools with the Manufacturing and Engineering Education Reimagined for All (MEERA) program.

Technista, an education consulting firm based in Ringgold, Virginia, specializing in developing and implementing K-12 manufacturing, engineering and defense-related curricula, says MEERA is a competency-based K-12 manufacturing education program designed to inspire and train the next generation of manufacturing workforce for local industries, starting in grades 6-8. MEERA is a turn-key solution including applied learning labs, industry relevant curriculum and technology, and a teacher training network developed to support classroom implementation.

Corey Soumis, CCISD CTE Director and Michigan CEPD [Career Education Planning District] 02 Administrator for Baraga, Houghton and Keweenaw Counties, said districts will be incorporating middle school learning labs with hands-on, industry-aligned experiences. Middle school teachers from each school district will first train at a new MEERA-UP Regional Training Center (RTC) and become part of its professional network. The RTC is set to be located at the Bay College-Iron Mountain Campus.

Soumis said the CLK School District was one of the five local school districts successful in receiving grant funding. According to the MDE website, the district was awarded $400,000 for Middle School Advanced Manufacturing. “The Washington Middle School will have a MEERA lab and a trained teacher,” Soumis said.

Copper Island Academy received $287,000 also for Middle School Advanced Manufacturing. Hancock Public Schools received $273,790; Houghton – Portage Township Schools received $177,000; and L’Anse Area Schools received $232,786. Each grant is for Middle School Advanced Manufacturing.