|
Grant Wood AEA awards Corridor STEM Initiative After-School Grants
|
Grant Wood AEA is pleased to announce the third year of awarding mini-grants to area schools to provide after-school programs supporting instruction in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The grants are designed to help schools provide educationally sound, fun and exciting supplemental after-school STEM programs to youth in grades 3 through 8.
The recipients receiving mini-grants and their years of participation include:
3rd year
Prairie Creek Intermediate, College Community Schools
Prairie Point Middle School, College Community Schools
Hills Elementary, Iowa City Community Schools
Novak Elementary, Linn-Mar Community Schools
2nd year
Clear Creek Amana Middle School, Clear Creek Amana Community Schools
Lemme and Grant Wood Elementaries, Iowa City Community Schools
Lincoln Elementary, Washington Community Schools
1st year
Kirkwood Elementary, Iowa City Community Schools
Mount Vernon Middle School, Mount Vernon Community Schools
Funding for these mini-grants originated from a $200,000 competitive grant authorized by the Iowa Legislature in 2007 and awarded to Grant Wood AEA by the Iowa Department of Education. Governor Culver presented the grant to Grant Wood AEA during a presentation held in August 2007. This year and last year, the funding came through the Regents, Iowa Mathematics and Science Education Partnership Grant (IMSEP) administered by the University of Northern Iowa.
Schools are asked to recruit a diverse student population to participate in these after-school programs. Each site accommodates up to 30 students and provides weekly hands-on learning activities. In addition, schools are asked to form partnerships with local businesses, and support organizations such as ISU Extension, the University of Iowa, Workplace Learning Connection, Science Station, Rockwell Collins, the Iowa Children’s Museum and the Grant Wood AEA Van Allen Science Teaching Center to help meet desired outcomes.
Grant Wood AEA has hired a Teacher-In-Residence to provide increased support and professional development for teachers and support personnel as they connect the after-school activities to the district’s daily curriculum and instruction.
Jim Thornton, former administrator from the Cedar Rapids School District is coordinating the grant on behalf of Grant Wood AEA. Thornton explained, “The funding has allowed area students the opportunity to work on exciting projects and curriculum in their community. They explore STEM careers, have worked with engineers, and actually see how science and mathematics is applied, when solving real world problems. We need a new generation of mathematicians and scientists to meet the economic needs of our state and nation.”
For more information, contact Jim Thornton at (319) 373-1084.
|
|
|
