The Iowa Department of Education has awarded over $2 million in competitive grants to eight school districts to establish therapeutic classrooms for students whose emotional or behavioral needs affect their ability to be successful in their learning environment. The school districts receiving grants are the Bondurant-Farrar, Cedar Rapids, Cherokee, Davenport, Durant, Keokuk, Pella and Spencer community school districts. Awardees may use the grants to establish new classrooms or enhance critical components in current classrooms or programs that are being developed as therapeutic classrooms. Therapeutic supports include things such as skill building, support to cope with stress and trauma, mental health treatment and crisis intervention and follow-up.