The Highland Park Independent School District (HPISD) in Dallas, Texas, has announced a five-year, $4.99 million grant from the Moody Foundation.

The funding will support initiatives and expansions at the district’s Moody Innovation Institute (MII), which was established in 2016, and support science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) activities for all district students, K-12 and ages 18 and older. In addition, it will support the addition of a class to the Moody Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) program at Highland Park High School.

MII also will expand to include Moody Education Solutions Accelerator (MESA), a K-12 “solutions accelerator” that will research students’ educational needs within public education. In particular, MESA will initiate two studies that will explore classroom challenges and develop a portfolio of practical solutions to improve the areas of mathematics education in grades K-8 and address dyslexia across the curriculum.

“We are excited to continue to work with the Moody Foundation to advance educational experiences for the students of HPISD,” said HPISD superintendent Tom Trigg. “We have already seen important contributions to our students’ academic development and success provided by the MII team working with the administration and the educators of the district. This grant is another step forward for this partnership.”

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Courtney Hale)