STEM Initiatives
(Science, Technology, Engineering, & Math)
We have three initiatives underway to augment, enhance, and expand the King George County School (KGCS) system’s education programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM):
(1) Fund raising to purchase STEM equipment, tools and supplies for the KGCS classrooms at all levels, K-12.
(2) Fund raising to support STEM after-school programs, local STEM summer camps, and scholarships to advanced STEM camps like Space Camp, etc.
(3) Leveraging the STEM programs of national professional societies like the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, to bring real-life experiences & career professionals in STEM into the class room.
We work collaboratively with the STEM teachers at all levels in KGCS, to identify their needs, develop innovative solutions and seek new opportunities to enrich the STEM educational experience for all KG students.
STEM Fund Raising Goals
STEM Equipment: Through collaboration with all the KG public schools we have identified ~$165K in needs for STEM equipment and supplies. Each of these needs is categorized by what functional impact they have on STEM education (i.e., technical focus areas), what grade & school requested it and prioritized into three tiers. So a potential donor can clearly see the following:
- How their money would be spent (aligned with KGCS priorities),
- What it would be used for (itemized listing of STEM equipment, tools, etc),
- Where their money would go (which schools & grades),
- What impact it will have on the student (e.g. cognitive skills, etc.)
A donor can pick and choose which items they want to fund, or they can provide a general donation to the STEM Equipment Fund and we will invest the money in accordance with the KGCS priorities. The summary spreadsheet containing the itemized lists for each of the three elementary school can be accessed using the STEM Equipment Needs button below. The middle and high school needs lists will be added when they are finalized. Details about the STEM equipment needed can be found by clicking the blue STEM Equipment Lists button below.
Summer Camps: In addition to providing STEM equipment, we believe that providing hands-on immersive experiences is key to stimulating more interest in STEM areas. In that vein, we provide scholarships to local STEM camps like Camp Invention we as national camps like Space Camp, in Huntsville AL.
We would like to expand our Space Camp merit-based scholarships (~$2,200/ea) to send six KG students in summer of 2022. This is the top STEM camp in the country, if not the world, and is an excellent opportunity for 5th grade students. We would also like to provide 30 needs-based scholarships ($235/ea) to the Camp Invention held locally at KG Elementary School each summer, which is a phenomenal program for K-6 that is subsidized by the National Inventor’s Hall of Fame. Details about these amazing camps can be found by clicking the blue buttons below. The video below highlights the various simulators used at Space Camp, which is hosted at the US Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, AL.
How to Give: In summary, we are hoping to raise ~$165k for STEM Equipment, ~$13k for Space Camp Scholarships, and ~$7k for Camp Invention Scholarships. If you are interested in helping us achieve those goals, we would welcome your contributions – no matter how small (several STEM equipment items are between $30-$50). The online STEM Donation Form (click here) will help those interested in designating donations in these areas. This form as well as additional information on giving can both also be accessed using the green buttons below
Space Camp Trip Reports
The section below provides the trip reports from the Space Camp Scholarship winner. It all began in 2020 with the Broadwood Scholarship which sends one 5th grade girl from KGCS to Space Camp each year. Now in 2022, we will be able to offer a second scholarship named the Harrison Handy Services Scholarship which is open to boys & girls.
Miss Faith Weber's Trip Report 2021
Miss Faith Weber was our second scholar to go to Space Camp. Her trip report is contained in the presentation and video below.
Miss Abigail Dunn's Trip Report 2020
Miss Abigail Dunn was the very first of our scholars to go to Space Camp. Her trip report is contained in the presentation below and some of her photos are shown in the carousel.
