For the third consecutive year, School District 49 has received the Department of Defense Education Activityís Military-Connected Student Academic and Support Programs grant for 2018. D 49 is among 36 recipient districts nationwide to receive the award, which totals $1 million.The award will allow the district to purchase and implement zSpace technology across the district.The immersive virtual learning labs will increase exposure and interest for students in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (S.T.E.A.M.) fields. The 2018 grant, called Expeditions, will build on the 2017 grant: IGNITE (Illuminating Goals and Nurturing Interests Towards Engagement). The funding supports programs for all students, especially military-connected students, focused on S.T.E.A.M.-based fields. The Expeditions grant will build three static labs and one zSpace lab on wheels, and the district will re-purpose retired bus 37 to create the mobile learning space. Together these classrooms will provide endless learning opportunities for students.The virtual learning classrooms are scheduled to go online and hit the road by the start of the 2019-20 school year.
