Obama Announces $7 Million Grant to PG Schools During Visit to Bladensburg

President Obama personally delivered the news Monday that Prince George’s County has received a $7 million federal grant to help prepare students for the workforce, visiting Bladensburg High School. 

The school is one of three high schools in Prince George’s County where the program will be offered. About 2,500 high school students at Bladensburg High School, Fairmont Heights High School, and Potomac High School will take part in the advanced programs in information technology or health care, the county said in a release. 

The money comes from fees that companies pay for visas to hire foreign workers for specialized jobs, reports CBS DC.

A total of 24 schools are being awarded the money after a nationwide competition, including the Los Angeles Unified School District, the New York City Department of Education and districts in Denver, Indianapolis and Clinton, S.C., the TV station reports.

Obama said the grant will allow schools to “develop and test new curricula and models for success. We want to invest in your future,” he said.

The funding is intended to “create classes that focus on real-life applications for the fields of the future,” such as science, mathematics and technology, Obama said.

The three local high schools chosen are located within the Transforming Neighborhoods Initiative, aimed at improving the quality of life in some of the county’s most challenged communities. 

“Our TNI efforts to date have resulted in a strong foundation for community engagement and partnership. This grant will help us firm it up so that it is sustainable for many years to come,” said County Executive Rushern Baker. “We anticipate this funding will be a resource to help thousands of young people realize their dreams, expand their horizons and prepare them for a better and brighter future.”

You can watch C-Span video of the president’s speech and announcement at Bladensburg.