Annual event aimed at improving the quality of education for military-connected students takes place in Norfolk

NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — The first day of a three-day event aimed at improving the quality of education for military-connected students took place Wednesday in Norfolk.

Hundreds of educators from across the country traveled to the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel in the Mermaid City for the 2024 Department of Defense Education Activity (DoDEA) Grant Program Community of Practice meeting.

"It's really about enhancing your practice," said Doug Dowell, STEM coordinator and grant supervisor for Central Kitsap School District. "How can you better implement the STEM grants, or whatever type of grant you get, to help impact the students and the teachers in your local community?"

Dowell traveled from a school system in Washington state. His school division, along with the others who attended, are recipients of the DoDEA grant program.

He explained the grant is given to school divisions that have a 10% or higher military connected student population.

"The program now is open to almost any content area in school, so it could be math, English, social studies, STEM, music, arts," Dowell said, "and it's really to get additional supports and resources which districts across the whole country need right now to implement programs, to train teachers, to get resources for students."

Recipients at this year's event will also get a chance to visit and learn about how the grant program has impacted school divisions in Hampton Roads.

One of the visits during the last day of the event will be in York County.

According to Dr. Vika Sykes, York County School Division grant coordinator and writer, the division there has received about half-dozen grants from DoDEA over the years, which she said is worth about $12.5 million.

"Our programs for grants with DoDEA range from transformative learning to literacy to STEM special education and most recently, world language advancement," Sykes said.

Courtney Gonzalez-Vega, who also works at the York County School Division as a STEM specialist, added they're excited to have this year's meeting right in their back yard.

"What we're looking forward to the most is just being able to network with our peers and learn from each other of ways to help impact military-connected families and students," Gonzalez-Vega said, "and just kind of learn from each other and have that community that supports this kind of work."

Dowell also encouraged other school divisions who qualify for the grant program to look into applying for it.

"There's a lot of districts that don't take advantage of this," Dowell said. "They're not aware of it. So, the best way to do would be just to get on the web and look up DoDEA grant program."

You can find more information about the grant program here.