U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to Highlight Progress in North Carolina's Rural Innovative Schools During Student Forum and College Tour of UNC at Greensboro
U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan will meet with high school students from across North Carolina on Thursday, Nov. 6 at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The Secretary's visit will highlight the progress that students have made through North Carolina New Schools' Investing in Rural Innovative Schools (iRIS) project, which is supported by a $15 million 2011 Investing in Innovation (i3) Validation grant. Secretary Duncan will participate in a student forum at 10:40 a.m. ET, followed by a press availability at 11:45 a.m. At 1 p.m., Secretary Duncan will wrap up the visit by joining students for a tour of the campus.
The iRIS project aims to expose all students in each of the 18 North Carolina high schools to a college-ready culture and create new opportunities for all students to graduate with some college credit. Students in iRIS schools have the opportunity to earn as many as 21 college credits, tuition-free, prior to their high school graduation through local community colleges and online courses offered by the UNC Greensboro iSchool and the East Carolina University Second Life virtual education program.
The U.S. Department of Education's i3 grant program is aimed at developing innovative approaches to improve student achievement and replicating what works across the country. To date, this signature tiered-evidence program has funded 117 unique i3 projects that seek to provide innovative solutions to pressing education challenges.
The Obama Administration strongly believes that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, and education is crucial to the economic strength and security of our nation and communities. The Department's work is focused on ensuring all students receive an education that prepares them for success in life and their career, through programs including Promise Neighborhoods, School Improvement Grants, Race to the Top, and ConnectED, as well as ED's work to expand access to preschool and make college more affordable.