The program received 458 grant applications this year, and 238 were selected for funding. This year, the program will support about 136,000 students across seven states with hands-on STEM activities.
Grants up to $5,000 were awarded in a competitive process, and preference was given to grant applications that explored TVA's primary areas of focus: environment, energy, economic development, and community problem-solving.
Tanner received $5,000, while Career Tech received $3,500.
"To be eligible to apply for and receive the grant, we had to have a designated STEM-related project in our school and the school had to be in the TVA service area. We submitted our demographics and area of focus and support along with the project proposal," Gifted Education Specialist Monica Hobson explained.
Agriculture Technology Teacher Lori Gibson said the online application was an "easy, simple process. Just register your account and fill in the information."
Hobson said Career Tech will use the grant, "to ensure that we have a working demo robot year-round (not just during competition season)."
She said, "having a working robot at all times allows the students to carry our demo robot out to the elementary and middle schools, and other outreach events within our community in order to promote interest and excitement in the application of STEM fields and careers."
The extra motors and drive mechanisms will prevent the team from having to "cannibalize" its competition robot each year to build a demo robot.
Collaborating together to build a functioning robot allows students to realize how to troubleshoot and diagnose problems on their own and how to work together to solve real-world problems.
"At competition, they are required to use the strengths of their robot combined with other teams and their robot strengths to achieve a high point score. However, winning is not the end goal," Hobson said. "Our end goal is to encourage students across Limestone County to be interested and pursue STEM careers and bring that expertise back to the youth that will follow behind them."
Currently eight alumni of Team 34 help the team.
"We cherish that full-circle experience of having Limestone County's Team 34 Alumni graduate high school, continue on with their post-secondary education and career discovery, and then want to give back to the program that pushed them towards that successful career," Hobson said.
At Tanner, the grant will support botanical efforts.
"We plan on using 70 pavers to build a four sided flower bed to contain our 20+ native plants. All soil would be used in the flower bed and allow for great growing conditions," Gibson said. "Plants purchased would be used in the flower bed. An outdoor fountain would provide water and a reservoir for insects and other creatures in our garden."
She went on to say, "two posts would be used for signage and information for visitors in our garden. A greenhouse will provide an area designated for native plants along with an area for rearing pollinators."
Tanner's Butterfly Hedge provides pollen and nectar for pollinating insects by including native flowers and is one way Tanner aids endangered species in their community.
"In addition to pollen and nectar, our garden habitat would include water, shelter, and a place to raise young. A greenhouse will provide space to winter plants and rear pollinators such as butterflies," Gibson said.
"Furthermore, it will provide an area designated for native plants along and for rearing pollinators including spaces to examine plants up close and learn about flower parts and how pollination works; native plants will increase the biodiversity of our garden and ensure that our pollinators will provide food for birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians."
She went on to say, "our goal is to to attract as many pollinators as possible and/or to bring back a species that is in possible decline including honeybees, butterflies, hummingbirds, and bats."
Tanner hopes to keep important insects and animals in the area to continue pollinating crops for fruit and vegetable production.
According to Gibson, Tanner is the only Elementary school in North Alabama that offers elementary agriculture as a course. The program utilizes STEM experiences to address knowledge deficit and allows students to use real-world application, critical thinking, creativity, innovation, and collaboration during projects and activities.
"Our scholars will take responsibility for researching, planning, and maintaining Butterfly Hedge. As a long-term project, Butterfly Hedge is an excellent opportunity for hands-on, cross-curricular learning which will require students to systematically think through problems, apply information they learn along the way, and incorporate technology and engineering to find the best solutions," Gibson said.
The work students do in the outdoor classroom allows them to see the real world practical applications STEM offers.
"STEM learning can make our pollinator garden an incredibly powerful learning tool because it will show all students that they can have an impact on the world around them, Gibson said. "All scholars can excel and become successful through STEM exploration activities!"
©2023 The News Courier (Athens, Ala.). Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
