A statewide higher-education planning group has awarded an $845,274 grant to Cal State San Bernardino to strengthen science education in the Coachella Valley.

The California Postsecondary Education Commission announced the grant this week for Project Pathways, a partnership between Cal State San Bernardino's Palm Desert campus, the Coachella Valley Unified School District, the College of the Desert and other groups.

The overall aim is to improve the number of science teachers in the Coachella Valley's middle and high schools by helping teachers obtain certification and to provide funding to help the campus develop ongoing training. Project Pathways was designed to help train teachers to meet the requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act.