Metro State is the recipient of a $2 million federal grant to train teachers to integrate digital technology and the Library of Congress archives into their classroom curricula.

The key focus of the grant will be to train current and future teachers to help students access the Library of Congress as a primary-source research tool via the Internet, according to Associate Dean of Professional Studies Sandra Haynes.

Advances in technology and Internet access have provided students with a great deal of information. "It is incredibly important in this day and age to reiterate the importance of primary-source research," said Haynes.

In addition to training students in its Teacher Education Program, Metro will work with school districts in the metro-Denver area and some rural districts to provide training to K-12 teachers. Organizers plan to begin implementing the program by next fall.

Metro State is one of 10 higher education institutions nationwide and the only college or university in Colorado to receive this grant. Haynes credits the strength of Metro's Teacher Education Program and its broad-based outreach efforts in the metropolitan area for securing the grant.

The efforts of Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell were instrumental in awarding the funds to Metro. "I'm excited to bring this program to Colorado, which has proven successful in seven states," said Sen. Campbell. The senator added that he hopes the Library of Congress resources will be a significant teaching aid for Colorado educators.

The Library of Congress is the nation's oldest federal cultural institution and is the research arm of Congress. It is also the largest library in the world, with nearly 19 million books, 2.6 million recordings, 12 million photographs, 4.8 million maps and 56 million manuscripts.