The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction awards close to $9 million in grants to support students in low-income area.

School District of Beloit Executive Director of Teaching, Learning, and Equity, Theresa Morateck says the grants are intended to support out-of-school programming.

Morateck says Todd Elementary, Fruzen Intermediate School, and McNeel Intermediate School received funding for five years.

Morateck says providing students with the opportunity to participate in activities that provide social and emotional support, academic enrichment, the arts and music, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is invaluable to student’s growth and well-being.

The funds were allocated to the Wisconsin DPI by the U.S. Department of Education as part of the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center Grant Program.