Grants to boost technology training

Twenty-six Pennsylvania colleges will receive more than $5.2 million in state money to use to develop information technology training programs.

The grants, detailed at l2l.org/ITWD/, are part of the state's Link-to-Learn initiative, a program designed to beef up the use of technology in the classroom, thereby improving the knowledge and skill sets of the state's work force and priming them for high-tech jobs. Grant recipients will work with 135 institutions, including 88 businesses and 24 school districts, to train students.

In all, 2,600 elementary and secondary school students and 8,400 college and university students will benefit from the grants.

The schools will use the money for a variety of purposes, including training their faculty, improving their technology infrastructure, recruiting students and establishing partnerships with businesses and K-12 schools.

The state has already invested $166 million in Link-to-Learn. In addition, Gov. Tom Ridge's proposed 2001 budget contains $20 million for an initiative which would create "digital school districts.''