PRESS RELEASE
Dr. Linda J. Musial, Supervisor of STEM, 301-475-5511,
ext. 126
SMCPS
Receives $100.000 STEM Grant
LEONARDTOWN,
MD -- St. Mary’s County Public Schools (SMCPS)
has been awarded a competitive Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) grant
in the amount of $100,000. Over the past four years, SMCPS has received a total
of $595,000 from the State of Maryland in grant funding to support the STEM program. This financial support has helped the
school system to fulfill its mission of establishing a grades 4-12 STEM pipeline
to prepare STEM-literate graduates to meet the county’s workforce needs.
This year’s grant will focus on four major areas including
materials and equipment support, the “STEM for ALL” initiative, an online Spanish
I course, and engineering challenges.
As the STEM Academy is expanded into grades 8 and 11, this grant will provide funding
for SMART technology materials, instructional activity kits, and portable tool carts.
The elementary “STEM for ALL” portion of the grant will provide all elementary schools
with LEGO Robotics Kits and the resources necessary to offer all interested students
a chance to participate on a robotics team
at their school.
Additionally, an engineering challenge will be designed integrating concepts
from the science and mathematics curriculum for third grade students.
At the middle school level, STEM 8 students will take an online Spanish 1
course from the MSDE sponsored Maryland Virtual Learning Opportunities (MVLO) program.
For the STEM 10 engineering course,
funds will be used to allow students to participate and compete in the Team America
Rocketry Challenge and the Botball Educational Robotics program.
SMCPS is grateful for the continued support of this state funded program which has helped in providing necessary components for the STEM program.
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