Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet announced that Northwest Colorado Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) won a $2,914,997 grant from the U.S. Department of Education's Investing in Innovation (i3) grant program to provide teachers with strong professional development assistance through its innovative System for Educator Effectiveness Development (SEED) project.

"Teachers in small schools and rural communities often face unique challenges to ensure they have the best tools and resources to educate our kids," Bennet said. "The Northwest Colorado BOCES is working to meet those challenges and leading the country with innovative solutions to teacher professional development to ensure that their teachers are well-prepared and have access to new technologies and effective support in their careers. This grant is a smart investment in our rural teachers who are responsible for preparing our kids for the 21st century global economy."‎

The SEED project provides K-12 teachers in Northwest Colorado with dynamic, blended learning professional development that is linked to its teacher evaluation system. Teachers gain access to an interactive online bank of resources and Teacher Learning Communities to aid in their continued development.

Bennet wrote to Education Secretary Arne Duncan in support of the Northwest Colorado BOCES grant application.

The i3 program is aimed at developing innovative approaches to improve student achievement and replicating effective strategies across the country.

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