State Rep. Jeanne McNeill, D-133rd, and State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-18th, announced Jan. 17 that grants through PAsmart Initiative were awarded to school districts to expand computer science programs and teacher training.

Whitehall-Coplay School District received $35,000. Statewide, 163 school districts, charter schools and intermediate units were awarded funding.

“The grant will be put to good use by helping students from low-income families who may not have a computer at home to learn the necessary computer skills that can help them find successful employment upon graduation,” McNeill said.

“I am pleased that additional school districts in my district took advantage of this important computer science funding to improve STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) training in our local schools,” Boscola said. “We have made STEM training a priority in the commonwealth so that our students are educated to meet the demands of the 21st economy. These grants will assist in those efforts.”

Last year, Northampton Area and Catasauqua Area school districts, among others, were awarded funding through this component of PAsmart Initiative.

The PAsmart Initiative will be awarding additional grants in the near future for science and technology education, apprenticeships and job training.

The PAsmart Initiative is a statewide program to aid commonwealth schools in meeting the workforce demands of our economy. Studies indicate that over the next decade, seven out of 10 new jobs will require the use of a computer, and by 2026, an estimated 300,000 STEM jobs will be available.