Middletown wins $83,000 grant and outlines CTE partnership with Electric Boat

Middletown Public Schools announced on April 16 that it received an $83,000 grant from the Van Beern Foundation to plan a courtyard at Valley Elementary and discussed a new career and technical education (CTE) program to be developed with Electric Boat.

"We did receive an $83,000 grant from Van Beern Foundation for the Valley Elementary Courtyard Planning," the superintendent said, adding that design work will include stakeholder input from staff, students and parents. The grant will fund planning to convert underused courtyards into educational outdoor spaces.

District officials also described a DEI design phase for a new CTE program in partnership with Electric Boat. The superintendent said the program will include machining, welding and ship‑fitting and will align with Electric Boat standards, offering internships and potential direct pathways to employment. "Kids that go through this program will have an opportunity to... be queued up and ready to work at Electric Boat should they want to do that and pursue that as a career," he said.

Officials framed the partnership as both a student opportunity and a local workforce development strategy; the superintendent said Electric Boat anticipates hiring thousands of workers in coming years, and the district expects the program to support both high‑school students and island workforce development.