DoDEA awards $73 million in grants to support military-connected students

The Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) is excited to announce recent grant awards to 54 local education agencies (LEAs) serving military-connected student populations across the United States. This investment represents over $73.2 million in fiscal year (FY) 2023 funding to support military-connected student achievement.

Since 2009, DoDEA has awarded 654 grants to 130 school districts in 36 states, totaling more than $763 million. These grants have impacted more than three million students, including over one million military-connected students, across the United States.

DoDEA grants focus on improving educational outcomes, narrowing achievement gaps, and providing access to academic programs that promote continuity of education for highly transient military-connected students. Of the 54 grants awarded for FY23, 44 grants are aligned to the Military-Connected Academic and Support Program (MCASP) and 10 grants are dedicated to the World Language Advancement and Readiness Program (WLARP).

Congress provided $15 million (of the $73.2 million) in dedicated funding to promote foreign language programs targeting elementary and secondary students through the World Language Advancement and Readiness Program (WLARP). These funds allow for the establishment, improvement, or expansion of world language study for military-connected students in eligible school districts and DoDEA schools.

Focal topics for MCASP grants in this year’s cohort include literacy, math, career pathways, social-emotional supports for students, and science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) efforts. WLARP grants include programs for Spanish immersion, Chinese, and general expansion of world language offerings for students.

Thanks to continued funding from Congress, this is the third year DoDEA has awarded grants to establish, improve, or expand world language programs targeting elementary and secondary students. Experts indicate that students learning languages starting at the K-12 levels develop higher language proficiency than those starting in college. Therefore, exposing elementary and secondary students to world languages is critical to developing and sustaining the pipeline of individuals with skills needed to address national security and economic competitiveness needs.

The DoDEA Education Partnership and Resources Division's work extends to military-connected students in U.S. and foreign locations that are not directly served by a DoDEA school. Through collaboration with multiple internal and external partners, technical assistance, resources, and support are provided to facilitate continuity of education and equitable learning experiences for military-connected transitioning students PreK-grade 12. Learn more about the division and DoDEA Grants at https://www.dodea.edu/education/partnership-and-resources.

DoDEA plans, directs, coordinates, and manages Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade education programs for school-aged children of Department of Defense personnel who would otherwise not have access to a high-quality public education. DoDEA schools are located in Europe, the Pacific, Western Asia, the Middle East, Cuba, the United States, Guam, and Puerto Rico. DoDEA also provides support and resources to Local Educational Activities throughout the U.S. that serve children of military families.