Bill Text: NJ A1778 | 2024-2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" in Department of Education.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 15-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-01-09 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Science, Innovation and Technology Committee [A1778 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2024-A1778-Introduced.html
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
221st LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2024 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Somerset and Union)
Assemblyman JAMES J. KENNEDY
District 22 (Somerset and Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Murphy, Assemblyman Karabinchak, Assemblywoman Lopez, Assemblymen Freiman, Wimberly, Assemblywomen Swain, Speight, Assemblyman Stanley, Assemblywomen Haider, Reynolds-Jackson, Park and Quijano
SYNOPSIS
Establishes "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" in Department of Education.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act establishing the "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" in the Department of Education.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. As used in this section:
"Afterschool STEM" means educational projects and programs that focus on extra-curricular learning, including, but not limited to, science fairs, STEM clubs, monthly labs, and workshops.
"Department" means the Department of Education.
"Out-of-School STEM" means creative STEM experiences outside the traditional classroom setting, which better prepare students for STEM work in the classroom and in the workforce.
"Project-Based Learning" means creative, STEM-integrated educational programming that focuses on learning through a broad project that includes instruction, substantive content, and reflection, with the goal that students participating in the project will achieve a concrete goal or complete a project.
"STEM" means science, technology, engineering (including robotics), or mathematics.
b. The Commissioner of Education shall develop and administer the four-year "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program" to assist school districts, renaissance schools, and charter schools in enhancing STEM education programs for students and increasing access to STEM education programs.
c. The pilot program shall award grants to school districts , renaissance schools, and charter schools seeking to create or expand STEM education programs along three distinct areas of concentration: project-based learning, afterschool STEM, and out-of-school STEM.
d. A school district, renaissance school, or charter school applying for a grant under the pilot program shall submit an application to the commissioner. The application shall, at a minimum:
(1) identify the area or areas of concentration, as enumerated in subsection c. of this section, for which the school district, renaissance school, or charter school is seeking the grant funding;
(2) include the amount of grant funding sought by the school district, renaissance school, or charter school;
(3) describe how the grant funding will be used to create new STEM education programs or how the grant funding will supplement existing STEM education efforts;
(4) outline plans for recruiting students to the STEM education programs;
(5) include a description of how the school district, renaissance school, or charter school will support teachers and other mentors who lead the STEM education programs and participants in the programs;
(6) provide a plan for sustaining the programs financially beyond the grant period;
(7) include a method to evaluate the impact of the STEM education programs on participating students; and
(8) include any other information the commissioner deems necessary.
e. Grant awards shall be allocated to school districts, renaissance schools, and charter schools on a competitive basis, in a manner to be determined by the commissioner.
f. Grant funds provided to a school district, renaissance school, or charter school shall be used to supplement, not supplant, funds used for STEM activities in the district or school at the time of the application for the grant.
g. There is established within the Department of Education a fund to be known as the "STEM Scholars Grant Fund," hereinafter referred to as the "fund." The fund shall be used to provide grants to school districts, renaissance schools, and charter schools under the pilot program.
(1) The fund shall be annually credited with money appropriated by the Legislature and any moneys received by the State from corporate donors or other private sector support.
(2) The department shall seek to secure the use of such funds or other resources from private nonprofit or for-profit sources to effectuate the purposes of this act as may be available therefor.
(3) No State funds shall be used to support a grant under the pilot program unless there is an appropriation for the pilot program in the annual appropriations act for the respective fiscal year.
2. This act shall first take effect in the first full school year following the date of enactment, but the Commissioner of Education may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill would establish the four-year "New Jersey STEM Scholars Grant Pilot Program," to provide grants to assist school districts, renaissance schools, and charter schools in enhancing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education programs for students and to increase access to STEM education programs.
Applications for grant awards under the pilot program would be submitted to the Commissioner of Education, who would allocate the awards on a competitive basis. The grant awards would be distributed so that school districts, renaissance schools, and charter schools can build upon existing STEM education programs or create new education programs along three distinct areas of concentration: project-based learning, afterschool STEM, and out-of-school STEM.
This bill also establishes within the Department of Education a fund to be known as the "STEM Scholars Grant Fund," for the provision of grants to school districts, renaissance schools, and charter schools under the pilot program. The fund is to be annually credited with money appropriated by the Legislature and any moneys received by the State from corporate donors or other private sector support. No State funds may be used to support a grant under the pilot program unless there is an appropriation for the pilot program in the annual appropriations act for the respective fiscal year.
