School Reaches Final 10 For Grant
The list is now down to 10 for the national Catalyze Challenge grant, and Wolf Point is one of the final 10 schools.
“We will now get an award, sometime in February,” Wolf Point Superintendent of Schools David Perkins said.
The top four or five finalists will receive a grant between $400,000 and $1 million. If selected, Wolf Point will be the first Montana school district ever to earn the achievement.
Perkins noted if the Wolf Point School District receives a grant, funds will also go to the Fort Peck Community College and to the National Indian Education Association for administrative costs. He expects an announcement regarding financial awards to happen in March.
“It will get the program going,” Perkins said.
Last week, Perkins attended a tribal labor and industry showcase held in Great Falls to learn more about opportunities.
“It was good networking,” Perkins explained.
The grant will provide funding so a school district could expand training in technical fields such as electrical, plumbing and possibly technology.
The Wolf Point School District has agreed to offer items through an MOU if the grant is obtained including: providing school personnel, having a lead instructor, provide a trailer or place for a lab and having a pathway to a career and technical education plan.
Since 2021, Catalyze has awarded more than $14 million to more than 60 organizations through national and regional challenges, with a positive impact on more than 65,000 learners. The Catalyze community works across the United States to plan, pilot and implement solutions that provide students with career-connected learning opportunities.
Last fall, local school officials met with the National Indian Education and the College of Menominee Nation regarding the grant. Perkins said supporters for Wolf Point receiving the grant include the Fort Peck Community College president Craig Smith and the Montana Department of Labor and Industry.
