WASHINGTON (AP) — The District of Columbia public school system is launching an internal grant program that will allow schools to ask for money to fund extracurricular activities and other programs to make students happier.

Schools chancellor Kaya Henderson is including $5 million for the grants in her budget request for the upcoming fiscal year. The program is similar to a $10 million initiative last school year to reward schools that came up with innovations around time, talent and technology.

The new grants could go toward field trips, after-school activities, new sports teams or anti-bullying work.

One of Henderson's goals is for 90 percent of students to report that they're happy in school by 2017. She says the grants will empower principals to come up with the best programs for their individual schools.