On Wednesday, Sept. 6, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will continue the "Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar" alongside Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, and U.S. Rep. Cori Bush. The week-long, multi-state road trip will showcase the many ways schools, families, and communities are doubling down on accelerating student learning and raising the bar in education.

Secretary Cardona will kick off the day in St. Louis, Missouri, where he will be joined by Secretary Becerra and U.S. Deputy Secretary of Education Cindy Marten where they will lift up efforts by the school, community, and Biden-Harris Administration to support efforts to increase mental health resources for students.

Afterwards, he will head to Harris-Stowe State University with Rep. Bush and U.S. Under Secretary of Education James Kvaal where they will share efforts by the administration to support Historically Black Colleges and Universities and lift ways the university supported students with Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) during the pandemic.

Next, Secretary Cardona will travel to Springfield, Illinois, alongside Gov. Pritzker and Illinois State Superintendent of Education Tony Sanders where they will tour elementary after-school programs that are part of the districts' efforts to support academic recovery.

The day will end where Dr. Sanders will join Secretary Cardona to visit a career and technical program. The U.S. Department of Education has been hosting the Unlocking Pathways Summit series to highlight workforce priorities and opportunities for young people that are growing due to recent federal investments, like the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation Reduction Act and CHIPS and Science Act. This includes expanding access to high-wage, high-demand pathways and skills-based learning opportunities, including Registered Apprenticeships and community college programs, in sectors like advanced manufacturing, clean energy, infrastructure, and cybersecurity.

The "Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar" will feature stops in Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Throughout the week, Secretary Cardona, Deputy Secretary Marten, and Under Secretary Kvaal will join national, state, and local school leaders to speak with students, parents, and educators for events that celebrate the back-to-school season and underscore the Administration's commitment to helping students recover from the impacts of the pandemic and continue on the road to success.

As part of the "Back to School Bus Tour 2023: Raise the Bar," Administration officials will highlight academic and mental health programs and efforts to recruit and support educators funded by President Biden's American Rescue Plan (ARP), which provided historic resources to K-12 schools, colleges, and universities to reopen schools and help students of all ages recover.

Many of the events will include a press availability with Secretary Cardona and local leaders. To RSVP for specific stops on the tour, please email pressRSVP@ed.gov. Follow the bus tour on social media at #EdBusTour23.