Actions

Trump Wants To Spend $200M A Year On STEM, Computer Science Education

Trump said in a memo that minority, rural and female students lack valuable access to STEM education programs.

By: Jake Jones

Posted at 9:26 AM, Sep 26, 2017

and last updated 2017-09-26 09:26:08-04

President Donald Trump wants to invest more money in science, technology, engineering and math programs in schools, with a particular focus on computer science.

That's what he told Education Secretary Betsy DeVos in a memorandum released Monday. In it, Trump told DeVos to "establish a goal of devoting at least $200 million in grant funds per year" to promote high-quality education in computer science and STEM.

The memorandum claims minority students, rural students and girls lack the access and resources needed to eventually compete for jobs that rely on computer and technological skills.

The memo is a victory for White House adviser Ivanka Trump, who has traveled with DeVos to promote STEM education in the past. She'll be in Detroit on Tuesday to announce commitments from the private sector meant to "boost U.S. coding and computer-science classes."