Gov. David Ige and an education relief advisory group announced today that the state has $4 million in innovation grants to address the impact the pandemic has had on students, families and educators.

The initiatives could include creating digital equity, providing support for families and distanced learning.

The grants are available for public, private, charter schools, higher education institutions and other educational entities such as museums and cultural centers.

They will also continue to support quality educational services and the ongoing function of schools and campuses.

The federal government provided Governor’s Emergency Education Relief (GEER) funds to all states, which will “give governors the opportunity to rethink their approach to education during the pandemic, and to ensure the continuation of learning,” the governor’s office said in a news release.

Hawaii was awarded $9 million in GEER funds through the CARES Act.

The University of Hawaii received $5 million to create the Distance Learning Teacher Academy (Hawaii Online Portal for Education).

UH was also awarded $600,000 to develop the Transition to College Program (Next Steps to Your Future) for public high school juniors and seniors whose college career plans were altered by the pandemic in 2020-21.

To apply for the innovation grant funding and for more information, click here and then select the education tab.