By Jacob Just

BISMARCK, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – The state Department of Education is encouraging public schools and early childhood care providers to apply for a grant aimed at strengthening the literacy skills of North Dakota students.

Public school districts and early childhood care providers may apply for a share of the money. Application instruction workshops will be starting January 14th. The money is coming from the federal Department of Education.

The grant will help schools and providers build on students’ reading, writing, and speaking skills. The grants will be focused on benefiting children living in low-income homes, those with disabilities, children who are homeless or in foster care, and those who are learning English as a second language.

State Superintendent Kirsten Baesler says, “Those skills of reading, writing, and speaking are essential regardless of any career path or any path that you take in life. It’s essential that you have those skills, and this will allow our schools to work with our families in order to ensure that our students will have those skills once they leave our school(s).”

The Department of Public Instruction and the Department of Human Services’ children and family services division are implementing the grant. The application deadline is March 1st.