Thirteen area schools receive STEM grants from TVA

Wes Tomlinson, The Decatur Daily, Ala.
·4 min read

Dec. 12—Several area schools plan on using thousands of dollars worth of grant money they will receive from the Tennessee Valley Authority in January to enhance STEM instruction by purchasing items such as 3D printers, acoustic instructional aids and robotics equipment.

TVA announced this month that it awarded $1.5 million in STEM grants to 343 schools in seven states. STEM learning covers the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and math.

Thirteen area schools received grants ranging from $1,500 to $5,000. Schools to receive the grants are Leon Sheffield Magnet Elementary, F.E. Burleson Elementary, Hartselle Junior High, Hartselle High, HEART Academy at Julian Newman, SPARK Academy at Cowart Elementary in Athens, East Lawrence High School, Lawrence County Career Tech, Lawrence County Gifted Program, Creekside Primary School in Limestone, Ardmore High School, Blue Springs Elementary School, and West Limestone High School.

Leon Sheffield will receive a $1,500 grant in January that will go toward three new 3D printers.

"We're very thankful for this," said STEM teacher Heather Coon. "This is the biggest STEM grant we've received in the two years that I've been teaching STEM here."

Leon Sheffield contains grades 3 through 5 and Coon said each grade will have a 3D printer to use.

Coon said she applied for the grant in September because she wanted to find a way to integrate 3D printing into her curriculum.

"I think (3D printing) will help our school jump on the wave of innovation and hands-on learning," Coon said.

F.E. Burleson Elementary, Hartselle Junior High, and Hartselle High School will receive a combined grant total of $15,000, according to Hartselle City Schools Superintendent Brian Clayton.

In the Athens school district, SPARK Academy at Cowart Elementary and HEART Academy at Julian Newman were also awarded STEM grants.

SPARK Academy will receive a $3,500 grant which they will spend on a 3D printer, according to lab specialist Jennifer Kennedy.

"We received a $5,000 STEM grant from TVA this January and we spent it on a 3D printer as well," Kennedy said.

Kennedy said her students, who range from kindergarten to third grade, are currently using 3D printers to print out snowflakes for Christmas.

East Lawrence High will also receive a $5,000 grant and teacher Amy Sterling will use it to enhance her robotics instruction.

"I plan on purchasing two VEX V5 Workcells which are $2,500 apiece," Sterling said. "They look like what you would see in a plant or industry."

According to vexrobotics.com, a Workcell acts as a primer, introducing students to manufacturing concepts like construction and palletizing.

Aly Rish, a music teacher for Creekside Primary in the Limestone district, plans to teach the science of acoustics and how it pertains to music by purchasing audio equipment with their STEM grant.

"We were able to receive a $2,500 grant," Rish said. "One of the things we will be able to purchase is equipment like Chladni plates, where you can put a special type of sand on top of it and then you use a special speaker to play different frequencies. There's different patterns on the plate, so they'll be able to see how the frequencies change."

Ardmore High will spend its $5,000 grant on alternative energy modeling, according to teacher Tamara Hilliard.

"Students will explore everything from the usual wind and hydroelectric models to thermoelectric and biofuels using hands-on kits," Hilliard said. "We'll even have a virtual green roof simulator."

Without grants like these, Sterling said her schools' STEM programs would be less successful.

"It's huge because it allows us to have supplies that we would normally not be able to have," Sterling said. "There's no way that I could go out and buy a $2,500 robot to put in my classroom, so this is very beneficial to my students."

Kennedy also said the grants make her classroom instruction more affordable.

"We wouldn't be able to afford it if it wasn't for these grants," Kennedy said.

Since 2018, TVA has provided almost $6.5 million in STEM grants.

— wes.tomlinson@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2442.