BUSD Awarded Career Technical Education Incentive Grant

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The Burbank Unified School District is one of the first districts in California to be awarded a Career Technical Education Incentive Grant (CTEIG) by the California State Board of Education. The District will receive $1,115,750.00 over the course of 2016 with the first 40% arriving in February. The CTEIG was established by AB 104 as a state education, economic, and workforce development initiative with a goal to provide students with the knowledge and skills to transition to employment and post-secondary education. Specifically, the grant is to maintain existing career technical education programs and to develop new pathways according to local job market needs.

In order to apply for the grant, the District was required to demonstrate matching funds. The matching funds are the monies that the District is currently spending on CTE. BUSD was able to demonstrate almost triple the matching funds requirement with just over three million dollars. “The Burbank Unified School Board is to be commended. They maintained their commitment to funding CTE courses and preparing our kids for the future,” says BUSD Superintendent, Matt Hill. “It is because of their forethought that we were in an excellent position to make the most of this opportunity.”

Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Assessment, Sharon Cuseo, shared, “The Incentive Grant will allow us to continue our growth in CTE programs by investing in capital improvements, additional technology, and new software. The maker spaces would include additional computer labs, robotics kits, work tables, and 3D printers. In addition, the BUSD will develop two new career pathways in the areas of health care and engineering design. The grant would also provide for professional development for CTE teachers.

The CTEIG further complements the work that the District has begun with the Career Pathways Trust Grant, which was awarded to the Creative Technology Consortium (comprised of BUSD, Glendale Unified, Glendale Community College, California State University Northridge, and the Verdugo Workforce Investment Board). BUSD received more than $1.4 million of a $6 million College and Career Readiness Trust Grant in 2014 to enhance existing Digital Media Pathways and develop a new pathway in Digital Manufacturing.

In order to implement both grants successfully, District staff works in partnership with community business leaders such as Warner Bros. Entertainment, Walt Disney Studios, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, mOcean Entertainment, 5D Spectrum, and Smashcut. Partners inform curriculum development, equipment purchase, and key technical and soft skills that will best prepare students for their future careers. Partners also support BUSD students with work-based learning programs that include job shadowing, professional guest speakers, externships, internships, mentorships, and certification programs.

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