[ back ]
Schools awarded nearly $465,000 in STEM grants
(by Christine Bryant, Eastside Editor - January 10, 2009)
Reynoldsburg Schools has received nearly $465,000 in STEM grants that will go toward curriculum planning.
The district received a $247,926 grant for high school planning and a $217,000 grant to fund a district-wide program for students in Kindergarten through eighth grade that focuses on storm water.
"This will be a great start to STEM programming for Reynoldsburg City Schools and will be designed to lead to other programs and units," said Tricia Moore, Reynoldsburg Schools Coordinator of Community Outreach. "Professional development and cooperation with our partners will be key."
The district will work with its partners to develop the activities and curriculum for the K-8 storm water program between now and the end of the year, Moore said.
The district's aim is to give teachers and students experience in STEM programming by creating a unit of study focused on streams and storm water management.
The unit will be hands-on and will emphasize science, technology, engineering and math while incorporating the arts and humanities. "Kids and teachers will work directly with engineers, scientists and local experts on their projects," Moore said.
Activities will focus on local waterways, especially Blacklick Creek and its tributaries. "Students might use scientific methods to evaluate creek health, the impact of development and the efficacy of current storm water management methods, for example," Moore said.
The storm water proposal was ranked fourth out of the 25 applications submitted for the STEM grant. The high school proposal received the highest score of seven applicants across the state, Moore said. The grants may be used to pay for such items as professional development, curriculum design, materials and professional services, Moore said.
"These grants are important for two reasons," she said. "They reflect outside validation for the strength of our academic plans, and the funding allows us to continue planning and to introduce new programming during a major financial storm."
[ back ]
