Minnesota to expand COVID-19 testing options in schools
Ahmed Jama (left) and Munira Ahmed are two of about 40 students in the St. Cloud school district taking a yearlong Somali language course for native speakers. Courtesy of Ryan Unger, St. Cloud Area School District
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By Kirsti Marohn
When Munira Ahmed was 3, her family moved from Ethiopia to the Twin Cities, finally settling in St. Cloud.
Her parents spoke Somali at home but didn't have much time to focus on teaching Ahmed and her siblings about other aspects of their Somali heritage.
"When you come here, your parents â they pay more attention to fitting into the culture, getting a job,â she said. âSo we didn't get to learn more about our culture as much."
Now a senior at Tech High School in St. Cloud, Ahmed is hoping to change that. She's one of about 40 students in the St. Cloud Area School District taking a yearlong Somali language course for native Somali speakers.
The district started the course last year on a small scale. Interest was so high that they expanded it this year to both Tech and Apollo high schools and North Junior High.
District officials believe itâs the first high school course of its kind in Minnesota â and possibly in the nation. | |
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By Elizabeth Shockman
Minnesota is making rapid at-home tests available to school districts that request them. Itâs also handing out grant money to districts that want to hire additional staff or need other help with the logistics of regular testing in schools.
âIf we can isolate and find out cases right away, not only can we protect the health of that individual child or staff member, we can keep the building in place without having to isolate the entire building and send folks home,â Gov. Tim Walz said on Wednesday.
Hundreds of Minnesota districts have already requested the tests as well as grant funding. But others have not yet ordered any.
Walz asked for more school districts to participate on Wednesday.
Read more about how one school district plans to expand testing and other COVID prevention strategies. | |
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