EDUCATION

Education Foundation of Alachua County awards STEM grants to four teachers

Gershon Harrell
The Gainesville Sun

Four educators from Alachua County Public Schools have recently been awarded over $25,000 through the new STEM Excitement and Excellence Grants. 

The award comes the Education Foundation of Alachua County Public Schools, a non-profit organization that works with Alachua County Public Schools to provide additional funding for students and teachers in areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. 

The funding came from a family who began the Euliano Foundation for STEM and the State of Florida's School District Education Foundation Matching Grant program. 

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To qualify for the grant money educators were asked to submit a one page summary of their idea to engage students in STEM activities. The amount of money a teacher received depended on how much they requested and the project they were looking to do. 

Ricky Quintana, teacher at Howard Bishop Middle School, will put $3,797 of his funding towards the Texas Instruments Nspire CX Navigator system, TI-Nspire CX Calculators and temperature, pH and gas sensor probes in his classroom to engage in STEM activities. (Photo courtesy of the Education Foundation)

Educators had to provide a detailed budget rational on why they needed the money improve and what exactly they were going to spend the grant money on. 

The importance of having the STEM grant is to provide students with exposure to possible career options they can take as they get older, Rachel Debigare, the Education Foundation Director said. 

"The more that we can introduce students and help them integrate technology at an early age can help make them more successful in the future and make them more adaptable employees and adaptable learners," Debigare said. 

Educators and their projects who received grants:

  • Jessica Campbell from Buchholz High School: $4,770.79. Project: Sparking Hands-On FUN with Robots in AP Computer Science Principals.
  • Ricky Quintana from Howard Bishop Middle School: $6,655.50. Project: GizmoMe
  • Ricky Quintanna from Howard Bishop Middle School: 3,797.40. Project: Hawk Soar
  • Chris Dodyk from the Alachua County Public Schools District Oiffce: $5,000. Project: Robotics Reboot
  • Nathaniel Pegg from Hawthorne Middle and High School: $5,000. Project: Student STE(A)M Success