Cargill Awards Alice Smith $13,000 STEM Grant

(The following announcement comes from .)

Hopkins Public Schools is pleased to announce that Cargill has granted Alice Smith Elementary $13,000 to enhance existing STEM curriculum and programming. The grant, Innovative STEM Extensions, is focused on second through fourth-grade, but will benefit all Alice Smith students. It will increase STEM exposure both during the school day and in extended-day learning opportunities.

"We are very grateful that Alice Smith Elementary has been chosen for such a generous donation in the area of STEM," said Alice Smith Principal Jody de St Hubert. "It's critical that all students have access to STEM experiences and exposure to the hard sciences."

The grant will strengthen Alice Smith's already strong STEM program, which begins in preschool and is carried through sixth-grade. Cargill also supports the Engineering is Elementary curriculum that is embedded at all Hopkins elementary schools.

Innovative STEM Extensions has three main components. At the second-grade level, the existing Balance and Motion unit will be enhanced by a Lego Education, Early Simply Machines - Getting Started Package. The package includes pulleys levers, gears, wheels, axles, and much more, so students can think like engineers and problem solve more deeply. The third-grade will receive 12 iPads as well as accessories and STEM applications, creating a global learning environment that extends beyond the walls of the classroom. The fourth-grade's Magnetism and Electricity unit will be enhanced by a Lego Education, WeDo Robotics Construction Set. This package includes the materials needed to build LEGO models featuring working motors and sensors, while allowing students to explore a series of cross curricular, theme-based activities.

The Innovative STEM Extensions grant will begin benefiting Alice Smith Elementary in the 2012-2013 school year. You can learn more about how STEM is integrated into all Hopkins schools here.