Education and Worker Training
Senator Duckworth strongly believes that every child in this country should have access to a quality public education. She is an advocate for needed investments in our public schools to ensure our nation’s workforce is competitive and that every child, regardless of income, has a shot at the American Dream. She supports access to early childhood learning and providing access to equal public education for all students, regardless of how they learn or whether they are able-bodied.
Senator Duckworth is also fighting to make post-secondary education, including college and vocational education, more attainable for all Americans. As someone who relied on Pell Grants and waitressing to pay her own college tuition, she believes expanding public financial aid for higher education will only help our nation’s people and economy. Duckworth is also working to allow students to refinance their student loan debt and to enable them to earn college credit through national service. She also supports making community college tuition-free for deserving students to help prepare them for high-skilled jobs and investing in apprenticeships and public-private workforce training partnerships that can help close the skills gap and make it easier for young people to find jobs after graduating.
Latest
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April 29, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Blast Trump Administration's Attacks on Head Start, Demand RFK JR. Immediately Release Funding and Reverse Firings
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April 28, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin, Colleagues Push Trump Administration to Reconsider Student Visa Revocations
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March 20, 2025
Duckworth Bashes Donald Trump’s Executive Order Aimed at Dismantling Education Department at the Expense of Children and Middle-Class Americans
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March 12, 2025
Duckworth Statement After Trump and Elon Musk Gutted Education Department at the Expense of Children and Middle-Class Americans
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March 04, 2025
Duckworth, Cohen Renew Push to Help Improve School Bus Safety and Protect Our Kids
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February 12, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Meet With the Illinois Community College Trustees Association
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February 08, 2025
Duckworth, Pritzker Underscore How Trump Funding Freeze Jeopardizes Head Start Programs and Hurts Illinois Families Who Rely on This Lifeline
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February 05, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Meet with Illinois University Leaders
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January 31, 2025
Duckworth, Durbin Join Van Hollen, Colleagues in Reintroducing Legislation to Help Support Public Education for Low-Income Children and Those With Learning Disabilities
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January 29, 2025
Duckworth Join Durbin, Schakowsky in Introducing Mentoring to Succeed Act
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December 23, 2024
Duckworth Secures Key NDAA Provisions to Strengthen Rock Island Arsenal, Support Families and Farmers in Illinois and Beyond
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December 20, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $4.3 Million in Federal Funding for Math Education
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December 18, 2024
Duckworth Statement on Senate Passage of Bipartisan NDAA That Provides Pay Raise to Our Troops, Bolsters Readiness and Supports Servicemembers and Their Families at Home and Abroad
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December 16, 2024
Duckworth Visits JALC Nursing Program Expansion Made Possible by $1+ Million Federal Investment She Secured
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December 14, 2024
Duckworth Meets with Southern Illinois Airport Director, Tours SIU’s Glenn Poshard Transportation Education Center
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December 13, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Over $7 Million to Help Prepare Young Illinoisans to Succeed in High-Demand Careers
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October 18, 2024
Duckworth Applications Closing Soon for Class of 2029 Service Academy Nominations
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October 17, 2024
Duckworth Visits Chicago State University to Discuss Efforts to Support Student Parents
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September 27, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $200K in Federal Funding for Arts Programming in Illinois
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September 12, 2024
Duckworth, Clark Reintroduce Bill to Expand Child Care on College Campuses, Help Parenting Students Graduate
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September 06, 2024
Duckworth Touts Federal Funding She Secured for Current Chicago’s Inclusive Water Education and Workforce Training Program
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August 28, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin, Budzinski Secure Funding for Disaster Preparedness in Illinois
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August 27, 2024
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $57 Million in Funding for Elementary School on North Chicago Naval Base
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August 13, 2024
Duckworth Touts $500,000 in Federal Funding She Secured for New Women’s Business Center in Peoria
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August 02, 2024
Senate Appropriations Committee Advances Spending Bills with Illinois Priorities Secured by Duckworth, Durbin
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September 28, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $1 Million for Child Care Programs on UIC, Harper Campuses
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September 22, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $2.3 Million To Support Hispanic-Serving Institutions
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September 18, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Funding to Help Illinois Better Support Students with Disabilities
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September 09, 2023
At Parkland College, Duckworth Highlights Efforts to Boost Workforce Development and Aviation Training
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September 09, 2023
At Parkland College, Duckworth Highlights Efforts to Boost Workforce Development and Aviation Training
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August 30, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $6.2 Million To Help Close The Digital Divide In Schools And Libraries
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July 21, 2023
Duckworth, Klobuchar & Meng Introduce Resolution Seeking to Prioritize and Empower Mothers in the Workforce
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July 18, 2023
Duckworth Introduces New Legislation to Address Aviation Safety Crisis by Strengthening Pilot Training
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June 29, 2023
Duckworth Reacts to Supreme Court Decision Ending Affirmative Action in Higher Education
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April 25, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin, Kelly Introduce Two Bills to Increase Youth Employment Opportunities
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April 19, 2023
Duckworth Discusses Job Creation, Financial Aid and Innovation During U of I System Fireside Chat
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April 12, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $1.6 Million In National Endowment for The Humanities Awards to Illinois Institutions
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March 30, 2023
Duckworth Meets with Nominee to be Secretary of Labor Julie Su
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March 30, 2023
Duckworth Touts Support for Workforce Development with Dubuque Chamber of Commerce
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March 20, 2023
Duckworth Joins Reed, Larson in Push for ACTION to Increase Service Opportunities Act & Helping Students Reduce Their Debt
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February 07, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Meet with Illinois Higher Education Leaders
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February 01, 2023
Duckworth Joins Kaine and Braun in Introducing Bipartisan Bill to Help More Americans Access High-Quality Job Training, Get Good-Paying Jobs
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February 01, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin Meet with President Of Loyola University Chicago
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January 26, 2023
Duckworth, Durbin, Booker, Schakowsky, García, Trahan Introduce Mentoring to Succeed Act
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January 16, 2023
Duckworth Honors Dr. King’s Legacy at City Year Chicago Day of Service, DuSable Black History Museum
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December 17, 2022
Duckworth Visits Dion’s Chicago Dream and Discusses Hunger Prevention and Access to Fresh Food
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November 17, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Meet Leaders of Illinois’ Predominantly Black Institutions
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October 07, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce Nearly $6 Million in Grants for Chicago Public Schools
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October 05, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Urge Department of Education to Strengthen Regulations Against Informal Removal of Students from Class as a Form of Discipline
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September 29, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce $2.5 Million For Chicago Public Schools and DePaul University to Address Teacher Shortages
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September 21, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $1 Million in Pollution Prevention Grants for University of Illinois System
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September 20, 2022
Bipartisan Duckworth-Moran Resolution to Recognize September 2022 as National Student Parent Month Passes Senate
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September 09, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $44 Million For Head Start Programs in Illinois
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September 09, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $19 Million for Health Care Research in Illinois
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June 28, 2022
Duckworth Announces Class of 2026 Service Academy Appointments
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June 14, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Announce More Than $5 Million for Health Care Research in Illinois
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June 13, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Urge Illinois School Districts to Apply for EPA Clean School Bus Program
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May 21, 2022
Duckworth Delivers Commencement Address to Harper College’s Class of 2022
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May 06, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Join Brown, Collins to Introduce Bipartisan Resolution to Honor America’s Teachers During Teacher Appreciation Week
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April 29, 2022
Duckworth, Durbin Applaud HHS for Prioritizing Early Childhood Education in Southwest Illinois
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March 14, 2022
Duckworth Highlights Key Omnibus Priorities Set to Become Law