Title III, Part A, Immigrant Children and Youth Discretionary Grant
Purpose, Background, and Eligibility Requirements
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) reserves approximately five percent of its available Title III funds in order to provide enhanced instructional opportunities to Immigrant Children and Youth. Local Education Agencies (LEAs) seeing a significant increase in students meeting the definition of immigrant children and youth may apply for this discretionary grant. In order to qualify, LEAs must demonstrate a significant increase in their immigrant children and youth population[i]. For Immigrant and Youth Grant eligibility, a significant increase is defined as at least a 25 percent increase of immigrant children and youth in the current year over the average of the previous two years. LEA eligibility is determined by Immigrant and Youth data reported for the Third Friday Count in WISEdata via the LEA’s Student Information System to WISEdata. The data requested is based on the definition of immigrant children and your in the ESEA, Section 3201(5) of Title III.
- aged 3 through 21
- were not born in any state, the District of Columbia,and Puerto Rico; and
- have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more state for more than 3 full academic years[iii}.
Students who meet this definition may be adoptees, exchange students, and refugee students, born in the US military, among others. They may or may not be English Learners (ELs) as defined by ESSA.[iii]
Enhanced Instructional Opportunities
Immigrant and Youth Discretionary Grant funds may be used for activities that provide enhanced instructional opportunities such as [iv]:
A) Family literacy, parent and family outreach, and the training activities designed to assist parents and families to become active participants in their children’s education.
B) Recruit and support personnel, including teachers and paraprofessionals who have been specifically trained, or are being trained, to provide services to immigrant children and youth.
C) Provide tutorials, mentoring, and academic and career counseling.
D) Identify, develop, and acquire curricular materials, educational software, and technologies to be used in the program to carry out with these grant funds.
E) Basic instructional services that are directly attributable to the presence of immigrant children and youth in the LEA, including payment of costs for added classroom supplies, transportation costs, etc.
F) Other instructional services that are designed to assist immigrant children and youth to achieve in U.S. elementary and secondary schools, such as school orientation or civics education.
G) Activities in coordination with community-based organizations, institutions of higher education, private section entities, or other entities with expertise in working with immigrants, to assist families by offering comprehensive services.
List of Eligible Activities for Immigrant Children and Youth
Application and Eligibility
Eligible LEAs and Title III Consortia may apply. Within the grant application, the application should describe how any activities undertaken will explicitly support immigrant children and youth. Additional pages may be added to the application. Districts should anticipate being able to serve immigrants during the grant year. The grant year runs from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. The grants must be expended during the fiscal year awarded. Title III Immigrant and Youth funding do not carry over. Grant requests have traditionally ranged from $10,000 to $40,000 for eligible grant activities.
Immigrant Children and Youth Discretionary Grant Competition
2024-2025 Competition
This list represents the Immigrant Children and Youth Grant recipients.
2025-2026 Immigrant Children and Youth Competition Information
24-25 Immigrant Grant Webinar Slides
District and School Resources Supporting Immigrant Students:
Family Resources
- NCELA Family Toolkit
-
REL: Starting Schools in the United States: A Guide for Newcomer Students' Familes
Inquiries about the Immigrant Children and Youth Grant can be directed to:
amy.maciolek@dpi.wi.gov or (608) 266-1570.
[i] ESEA 20 U.S.C. § 3114(d)(1)
[ii] Academic Year need not be consecutive.
[iii] ESSA definition of English Learner plus citation.
[iv] ESEA 20 U.S.C. § 3114(e)(1)