Wes Hickman (202 224-5972) or Kevin Bishop (864 250-1417)

WASHINGTON- U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today announced Rock Hill School District 3 will receive a $123,670 grant to improve foreign language education programs. The funds will be used to develop German, Spanish and French foreign language instruction for grades 3-5. The program will serve as a pilot for developing and implementing a new elementary foreign language curriculum via distance learning. The school district will start the program at three sites, each focusing on one of the target languages. At the completion of the three-year grant period, the district will expand the program to twelve other elementary schools. “As our global community continues to grow, foreign language skills will become more important to succeeding in business and foreign relations,” said Graham. “These programs will help Rock Hill schools develop students with the skills necessary to become tomorrow’s leaders.” The grant was awarded by the U.S. Department of Education. ####