Delaware nonprofit launches $10,000 in 'mini grants' for school boards: Education roundup

Class is now in session.

Well, school starts both this week and next for most systems across Delaware. And education in the state has already been making headlines regardless, from back-to-school dates and supply events, to public school board dysfunction and new bans around student cellphones.

As students set to return, one education nonprofit hopes to fuel innovation in school boards with "mini grants," while another Delaware Vo-Tech district is taking a moment to honor the past.

In this weekly roundup, we'll catch you up on these and other education updates you may have missed.

[Did we miss another good education story? Tell me about it: kepowers@gannett.com . ]

Wait when is the first day of school? Start dates vary across Delaware's public school districts

Delaware education nonprofit announces 'mini grants' for school boards

First State Educate wants to help school boards across Delaware improve governance, better engage their communities and start tackling challenges in public education. This month, the nonprofit announced its latest tool to aid: money.

First State Educate is launching a "Mini Grant Program," fueled by $10,000 in total funding.

Small grants will be allotted to school board members who apply with proposals for their school system, from Aug. 26 to Oct. 11 . Applicants who pass initial screening will undergo further interview in November, and funds should hit the boards by December. Such structure hopes to allow thorough evaluation of proposals, per First State Educate, to land on projects with the greatest potential impact.

Eligible board members must have participated in at least three First State Educate activities, events, initiatives or meetings this year, according to the nonprofit, while also maintaining a record of "effective leadership" in their roles.

More application information should publish Monday at FirstStateEducate.org .

What's happening in Christina schools? Why Christina School District's lawyer is 'gravely concerned' with board's actions

New Castle County Vo-Tech unveils new marker for historic school

New Castle County Vocational Technical schools just unveiled a new historic marker.

Last week, Delcastle Technical High School hosted a ceremony that formally honored the location of the former Industrial School for Colored Girls, later known as the Edwina Kruse School. The school was dedicated in 1920 as the first educational institution for the "care and rehabilitation" of Delaware's young Black women, the district said in a press release.

Back then, minors were redirected to such industrial schools instead of prison to learn, reform and reenter society. Young men, both white and Black, were sent to the Ferris Industrial School, while young white females attended the Industrial School for Girls in Claymont.

But before this school on Newport Gap Pike, there was simply no Delaware location for the care of young women of color. And at available schools in Philadelphia and Baltimore, deaths from tuberculosis began to grow more frequent, according to a written synopsis on this history from Delcastle Tech social studies teacher Donato Rufo.

Land was purchased by the Federation of Colored Women's Clubs of Delaware after fundraising, and by 1919, the new school was founded.

These days, Delcastle Tech sits on much of that old farm land hosting the Edwina Kruse School. And Kruse, its namesake, was not only a former principal of now-Howard High School of Technology, per Rufo – but a pioneer for Black education throughout Delaware.

Howard was once the only high school serving Black students in the state, as well as one of the earliest in the nation. The Edwina Kruse School stayed in operation until 1960. So last week, State Rep. Kim Williams, Sen. Spiros Mantzavinos, Delaware Public Archives' Stephen Marz and many more celebrated the marker highlighting just one piece of history held within this district.

More Delaware history: How one Wilmington bus tour honored 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education

New Delaware charter school celebrates its opening in Georgetown

The Bryan Allen Stevenson School of Excellence opened its doors to the community for the first time with a ribbon cutting ceremony last week.

The new Georgetown charter school saw some 200 community members, families and staff mark the occasion, according to a press release, including the local chamber of commerce, Georgetown Mayor Bill West and more.

“I’m very excited to welcome our students in the 2024 school year,” Chantalle Ashford, the school's founding leader, said in a statement. “The Board, our inaugural staff and our youth leaders from our summer program built a strongfoundation for our school community. We will continue to build on their work during our inaugural year!”

The school is named after Bryan Stevenson, the founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, renowned lawyer, human rights activist – and Delaware native. Filling the old Howard T. Ennis building, the school will open with sixth, seventh and eighth grades in its first year.

And Ashford is confident the tenants of her new school will set it apart: with personalized learning plans, service-focused learning, unique scheduling and extracurricular activities for all students.

Look back: New Sussex charter enrolling students for 2023-2024 school year

Wilmington University debuts a business course with total Spanish immersion

Wilmington University just unveiled the latest addition to a growing portfolio of bilingual options in its undergraduate business curriculum.

That "business communications" course will be live, online and in Spanish immersion, according to a press release from the Delaware institution. It's designed for students who speak Spanish and English, while preferring Spanish instruction.

It joins the first Spanish immersion course at WilmU, launched back in 2023, aiming to benefit both native speakers and those preparing for bilingual careers. U.S. Census data shows Latino population compromising some 19% of the U.S. population, per WilmU, with about 7% of Delaware's residents hailing from Spanish-speaking households.

“Wilmington University is committed to meeting the diverse needs of our student body,” said Robin Weinstein, dean of the College of Business, in a statement. “Reflective of our ongoing efforts to provide innovative, inclusive and relevant educational opportunities for all students, the introduction of a Spanish immersion format for our Business Communications course exemplifies this dedication by offering courses that cater to bilingual students."

More information on the course is available on the university's website .

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Got a story? Kelly Powers covers race, culture and equity for Delaware Online/The News Journal and USA TODAY Network Northeast, with a focus on education. Contact her at kepowers@gannett.com or (231) 622-2191, and follow her on X @kpowers01.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Delaware nonprofit launches $10,000 in 'mini grants' for school boards: Education roundup