Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 awarded $400K STEM grant

Joshua Byers, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa.
·2 min read
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Apr. 13—The Appalachia Intermediate Unit 8 has been awarded more than $400,000 for science, technology, engineering and mathematics initiatives through Gov. Tom Wolf's PAsmart Advancing Grants program.

"We're really excited by that," Executive Director Thomas Butler said. "We're building off our STEM lending center, which is available to our 35 school districts in the IU."

The agency's program allows teachers in Cambria, Somerset, Blair and Bedford counties to borrow interactive educational items to expose students to science and technology learning.

Butler said the new grant is allowing the IU to take the initiative one step further.

The intermediate unit is partnering with local businesses to create videos of STEM technicians using their equipment.

The goal of this portion of the program is to introduce students to careers in the science, technology and engineering fields by showing the learners that the same skills they're using with the kits can be applied to a professional setting.

Butler said the agency has also partnered with all chambers of commerce in its four-county region, the library systems in those areas and the Southern Alleghenies Workforce Development Board for implementation of the endeavor and lending program.

"These grants will help our schools and communities to expand STEM and computer science education," Wolf said in a release Tuesday. "That will strengthen our work force, so businesses can grow and workers have good jobs that can support a family."

The $414,358 grant to the local intermediate unit was part of $10.8 million set to be distributed to a total of 26 STEM and computer-science programs in schools and learning institutions across the state.

That money will help implement after-school robotics programs and innovative partnerships between school districts and higher education partners, create innovation hubs, develop mentorships and establish internships, according to Tuesday's release.

The PAsmart program was launched by Wolf in 2018 to expand science and technology education in the commonwealth due to the growing need for workers across many industries to use computers and technology.