The Foothills School Division has announced a new and unique initiative.

Classroom Program Innovative Projects was created by the school board trustees to improve learning opportunities for students by setting aside $1 million to span over five years.

A max of $50,000 a year per project is being looked at to help spread the funds around.

John Bailey, superintendent of FSD, says the fund is meant to help students with their different learning styles.

"As teachers we always look for new and creative ways to teach concepts and ideas so we can get the learning across to all students and we also vary that up knowing that every student's not the same and our board of trustees have stepped up and said 'We want to do this very tangible thing to help support the creative process.'"

The board is deliberately being fairly general and broad-based in their criteria so they don't limit ideas for submissions.

Bailey says in order for staff and students to apply for the CPIP, they need to submit a proposal.

"The proposal has to outline what it's about, how will it improve student learning, what's the budget, timelines and goals or outcomes that you want to achieve, how students have been in involved in helping develop this, what is the collaboration that's involved with school and division goals, with other classrooms and/or even other schools."

Once a proposal is submitted it goes to the school's administration and from there it will be brought to the selection committee, which is made up of the assistant superintendent of learning services, director of staff development, and other directors along with a selected school board trustee.

Proposal forms for the CPIP will be sent out later this week with proposals beginning to be accepted later this month or in November.

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