Podcast: Vanguard Academy receives $3.7 million School Climate Transformation Grant

PHARR, RGV - Vanguard Academy Charter Schools has received a School Climate Transformation Grant from the U.S. Department of Education, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez recently announced.Vanguard was awarded $739,887 for a period of five years, which will total $3,699,435. “This grant is a game changer for the communities of Pharr, San Juan, Alamo and Edinburg as it will provide a school psychologist for Vanguard Academy Charter School along with several social workers, a Response to Intervention (RTI) specialist and several school resource officers,” said Dr. Narciso Garcia, superintendent of Vanguard Academy.Congressman Gonzalez said the School Climate Transformation Grants initiative builds on evidence-based strategies to for schools to improve school climate and behavioral outcome for all students.“Students who learn in positive learning environments are more likely to improve academically, participate more fully in the classroom, and develop skills that will help them be successful in school and in life,” Gonzalez said.In the above podcast, Vanguard Superintendent Dr. Narciso Garcia discusses not only the School Climate Transformation Grant, but a range of other projects he is working on. One of the other topics discussed is the $10.6 million GEAR UP grant Vanguard received last year.Garcia said the School Climate Transformation Grant would not have been possible without the support of the City of Pharr, the City of Edinburg, Region One Education Service Center, Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Tropical Texas Behavioral Health, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Evaluation Grants & Training Institute, Inc.Go to www.riograndeguardian.com to read the latest border news stories and watch the latest news videos.