St. Mary School will be awarded $2,500 to expand STEM learning projects through Ohio STEM Learning Network Classroom Grant Program funded by Battelle...
St. Mary Wins STEM Grant
St. Mary School will be awarded $2,500 to expand STEM learning projects through Ohio STEM Learning Network Classroom Grant Program funded by Battelle. The grants will create sustainable, STEM learning projects to benefit students for years to come.
The project, “Where the Water Went,” will provide the students with the understanding of how rain water must be accounted for in construction projects. The school plans to work with its partners, including the Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center (CVEEC) and a Girl Scouts troop, to complete the project. The CVEEC will teach students ways to move water to protect the environment while the Girl Scouts will provide the project with one of the two rain barrels needed to complete the build.
The students will be adding water managing systems to the school’s greenhouse, The Learning Garden. After the installation of gutters and rain barrels, the students will design and build a self-watering system for The Learning Garden. Mrs. Allin directs the growing of the plants so that every child at St. Mary School plays a part.
In total, $687,500 were awarded to 151 classrooms across 55 Ohio counties. Of the schools earring this grant, only two schools were in Geauga County. One of them is St. Mary School.
“The schools and educators awarded today will create powerful new experiences to amaze and inspire students,” said Kelly Gaier Evans, director of the Ohio STEM Learning Network. “We invest in these programs to foster the next generation of Ohio innovators.”
The grant program fosters the growth of OSLN as a public-private partnership between the non-profit research institute and the State of Ohio. Providing more access for all students to experience quality science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education is Battelle’s top philanthropic priority.
“Battelle is proud to expand its impact in STEM education to support more educators across Ohio,” said Wes Hall, vice president of philanthropy and education. “This program creates connections to the statewide network and STEM opportunities for thousands of new students.”
Winning projects must align to at least one of four focus areas: community problem solving; STEM career exploration; building STEM mindsets; and design thinking and infrastructure.
“St. Mary Chardon’s project, where students design and create a complete watering system, combines all the key elements of a great STEM learning experience,” said Evans. “Students will solve a problem that matters to them while building their skills and learning about future careers.”
