U.S. Senator Katie Britt Advances $345,000 for Classroom Technology and Equipment for I3 Academy in Birmingham

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 11, 2024 – U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Ala.), as a member of the Senate Committee on Appropriations, locked in $345,000 for Birmingham’s I³ Academy in the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act. This congressionally directed spending would enable the procurement of technology and equipment for classrooms. The classroom technology and equipment would assist teachers in creating interactive lessons and help students collaborate to learn complex concepts for future academic and career success. 

“Every child in Alabama should have the opportunity to live their American Dream. This $345,000 investment would enable I³ Academy to upgrade classroom technology and equipment, improving students’ learning experiences and better preparing them for bright futures,” said Senator Britt. “When I joined the Appropriations Committee, I promised to return your hard-earned taxpayer dollars home to Alabama. I am proud to have secured funding that would do just that by investing in the success of our students.”

I³ Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school located in the heart of the Woodlawn community of Birmingham. The school serves kindergarten through seventh grade students across two campuses.

Overall, Senator Britt secured $14.415 million in education and workforce development related congressionally directed spending in the Committee-passed FY25 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Act:

• $345,000 for i3 Academy for classroom technology and equipment for student learning.
• $114,000 for the Crenshaw County School District for STEM education lab equipment.
• $350,000 for the Ozark City Schools Career Center for a mobile welding lab, including traditional and virtual welding booths and equipment for use by students.
• $1.25 million for the Mobile Area Education Foundation for a youth workforce training program.
• $1.32 million for the Forest Workforce Training Institute to scale up an existing career education and training program necessary to grow and develop the Forestry workforce.
• $5.29 million for Tuskegee University’s recently established Aviation and Aero Technology Program to develop and train the next generation aviation workforce, including pilots.
• $5.746 million for the Alabama Community College System to support career training and workforce development efforts at Northwest-Shoals Community College, Drake State Community and Technical College, Northeast Alabama Community College, Bevill State Community College, Enterprise Committee College, and Reid State Technical College.

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