The Ministry of Education and the University of British Columbia (UBC) are launching Growing Innovation, a unique research project that will explore new and creative learning opportunities for students in rural B.C.

A $300,000 research grant to UBC's faculty of education will be used to provide guidance and assistance to a maximum of 15 rural school districts. Each district will be eligible for up to $14,000 to help bring to life their innovative ideas and concepts of personalized learning. Research support and assistance will be provided by the faculty of education through the office of the Eleanor Rix professor of rural teacher education.

The goal of Growing Innovation is to boost student engagement and improve achievement for rural learners. Districts selected to be part of this pilot will bring their innovative ideas to life so they can be used as case studies to share among other school districts in B.C.

The UBC faculty of education will work with representatives from rural school districts and the Ministry of Education to set up the grant application process and determine the selection criteria for districts wishing to participate. UBC will establish the research-based criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the innovative approaches to rural education.

Quick facts about Rural Education:

• There are 1,610 public schools in B.C. this year, and 365 of those schools are in rural locations where the needs of local families are changing.
• This year 64,255 students are attending schools in rural communities.
• Forty-six districts receive rural factor funding under the unique geographic supplement -$22.7 million for 2011-12.
• A small community supplement will provide $63.2 million to 47 districts in 2011-12.

Learn More:

• Check out 'connected classrooms' at Lytton Elementary:
  www.bced.gov.bc.ca/news/av/video/2011/connected-classrooms/
• Learn NowBC's Rural Education Strategy:
  www.learnnowbc.ca/educators/Rural_Education/
• Resources for parents:
  www.learnnowbc.ca/LearningResources.aspx
• Personalized Learning:
  Premier's Technology Council Report at: http://www.gov.bc.ca/premier/attachments/PTC_vision%20for_education.pdf
• BC School Superintendents' Association Conference on Personalized Learning at:
  http://www.bcssa.org/fallconference.html

Contact:

• Public Affairs Bureau
  Ministry of Education
  250 356-5963