UXBRIDGE - On July 20, Representative Soter announced that the Commissioner of the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, Jeffrey Riley, released the latest round of Innovation Pathways grants. In this round of funding, Uxbridge High School received $15,000 for its Business and Finance pathway. 

  Launched in 2017, Innovation Pathways are designed to create strong partnerships with employers to expose students to career options and help them develop knowledge and skills related to a particular field before they graduate high school. 

Innovation Pathways provide students in traditional high schools with career-oriented education that is too rarely available outside of vocational programs, according to Education Secretary James Peyser. These pathways don’t train students for specific occupations but prepare them for a variety of educational and career opportunities in a broad industry or sector. 

  The Uxbridge High School will be using the funds to develop curriculum and provide teacher professional development for their business and finance program. Specifically, administrators will be evaluating how they can merge outcomes for business, finance, logistics, and entrepreneurship.  

  “As we continue to develop career pathways that merge student interest with the needs of our community, we are grateful for the support of the Commonwealth and the ability to access these resources to support our staff,” said UHS Principal Michael Rubin. “We will continue to move forward, which means keeping essential skills, industry-recognized credentials, and strong academics cohesively linked in every student’s experience.” 

  Representative Soter commented, “I’m proud of what the Uxbridge High School has accomplished under the leadership of Principal Michael Rubin. The UHS Innovation Pathways are top-notch. Teachers, administrators, parents, and external stakeholders are all working to ensure these programs succeed.” 

  Representative Soter stated that he will continue to support local school districts through the various grant application processes that exist in the Commonwealth. Soter continues to fulfill his promise to the district by ensuring strong school funding for the benefit of local students.