President Trump will announced Monday a $200 million federal grant program to expand computer science and technology education in schools, part of a focus on training Americans for jobs of the future that was spearheaded by daughter and adviser Ivanka Trump.
The program aims to increase the number of computer science classes across the country, including rural communities and inner cities, with a focus on bringing more women and minorities into tech fields, Mrs. Trump said.
“This administration is committed to building the workforce for tomorrow and equipping Americans with the skills they need to secure high-paying jobs and achieve the American dream,” said Mrs. Trump, who provided reporters an overview of the initiative.
The president is expected to formally announce the grant program at the White House later Monday.
Mr. Trump will sign a memorandum directing the secretary of education to invest a minimum of $200 million of grant funding annually to expand classes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, known as STEM, and computer science.
White House officials stressed that the $200 million was a minimum and that more was likely to be spent.
The administration also will be teaming up with high-tech companies from the private sector that will invest money and resources in the effort, Mrs. Trump said.
She will be kicking off the private sector partnership Tuesday at an event in Detroit with the Internet Association, Quicken Loans founder and CEO Dan Gilbert, Code.Org founder and CEO Hadi Partovi and Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn A. Hewson.
Mrs. Trump is expected to announced the participation of other companies at upcoming events.
The president has made job training and high-tech education part of his economic agenda.
The Obama administration also pushed for more spending on STEM and computer science in schools, but the effort was unable to win funding in Congress. Mr. Trump’s initiative will not require Congressional action, but the funding will have to be diverted from other programs.
“Given the growing role of technology in American industry it is vital that our students become fluent in coding and computer science with early exposer to both,” Mrs. Trump said. “Today too many of our nation’s K-12 and post-secondary students lack access to high-quality STEM education and computer science.”
Less than half of K-12 schools currently offer a single computer science class, according to a Gallup poll of school principals.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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