STEM Grants

Recent STEM grants include –

Drones in Flight (Fall 2024)

Drones will be integrated into the 7^th grade STEM curriculum to spark student engagement with hands-on experiences that tie directly to real-world applications such as forest fire fighting and space exploration. Students will pilot drones, learn visual-based coding, and develop essential problem-solving and teamwork skills while exploring technology-driven careers.

Foundation of Middle School Science Olympiad Team (Fall 2024)

This grant will provide for the purchase of the initial supplies needed for students to be able to prepare for the 23 Science Olympiad events. Students will compete in several regional invitational tournaments in preparation for the official Pennsylvania Regional Tournament.

American Rocketry Challenge Team (Fall 2024)

This student impact grant will be used to purchase the rocket parts necessary for the MTHS rocketry team to compete in the American Rocketry Challenge. The team’s goal is to construct several rockets and host 8-10 launches to both collect flight data to analyze and eventually qualify for the national ARC competition in May.

Tower Gardens (Fall 2024)

Building on the successful integration of tower gardens into science lessons at Reidenbaugh and Schaeffer, a tower garden will be added to the STEAM resources at each of the other elementary schools. Tower gardens provide students with the opportunity to experience the cycle of planting and harvesting crops any time of year utilizing a modern farming technology.

3D Scan to 3D Print (Spring 2024)

This grant will provide for the purchase of the MTHS Technology & Engineering Department’s first 3D scanners and upgrade the department’s 3D printers with more current technology. 3D scanners will allow students to create a digital model of an object by capturing it as data that represents the shape. Once created, the 3D scan be modified and/or 3D printed. This technology will bring a new level of industry realism and practicality to the design + build process.

Brick By Brick: Constructing a Brighter Future with LEGO® Spike™ Prime (Spring 2024)

Two classroom sets of LEGO Spike Prime will be purchased for integration into the STEM learning experience for 5^th and 6^th grade students at Landis Run. These materials will provide an innovative and engaging hands-on approach for students to collaborate on solving problems and completing challenges that involve the application of STEM skills and concepts including designing, building, engineering, and coding.

Reimagining K-4 STEM Education for Innovation and Equity (Spring 2024)

New STEM resources will be provided in all elementary schools to enhance K-4 STEM exploration and discovery. With a focus on innovation and access for all students, LEGO Spike Essentials and Makedo cardboard cutting and creating tools will provide students and teachers with the resources to design, build, and create in both high-tech and low-tech ways.

MTHS Robotics Team (Spring 2024)

This student impact grant will help the MT Technology & Engineering Club (MTTEC) prepare for the state level FIRST Tech Challenge competition. In addition to competition entry fees and preparations, funds will be used to purchase new parts to make modifications and improvements to the robot to improve upon its performance in the regional competitions.

Cafeteria to Compost (Fall 2023)

An outdoor, on-site composting site will be created at Nitrauer Elementary providing students with the opportunity to collect and compost food waste and brown material. Students will gain hands-on experience outside of the classroom as they participate in and facilitate the compost lifecycle.

Conducting Science with Space Tomatoes (Fall 2023)

High school biology students will participate in the TomatoSphere Project from the First the Seed Foundation. Students will compare the germination rates of tomato seeds that have spent 5 weeks on the International Space Station to standard earth tomato seeds. After germination, students will transplant them into the Vevor Hydroponic System for further growth and observation. Students will gather, analyze, and report on quantitative and qualitative data as they participate in this realistic plant-based research experiment.

Build a House (Fall 2023)

This culminating project for fifth-grade Excel students  at Landis Run Intermediate School invites students to apply concepts learned in math class, as well as critical thinking, creativity, and problem-solving as they work together to build a house. Along the way, students will complete surveys and analyze the data to make design decisions, measure and calculate materials needed for their design, and construct the house. The final product is expected to be on display during the school’s annual Arts Night.

Note that many grants have outcomes in multiple impact areas.