Graham County Schools was one of several area school systems awarded the “Cultivating STEAM Literacy” grant from the Cherokee Preservation Foundation.
The funding will increase the accessibility to STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) by providing teachers and students in the far Western North Carolina areas, with tools for increasing STEAM literacy for a stronger future workforce.
Students and teachers from Cherokee Central, Cherokee County, Graham County, Macon County, Swain County, New Kituwah Academy, Mountain Discovery Charter, Shining Rock Classical Academy, and Catamount School will also be included in the grant.
“The grant will help pay for all students to attend STEM conferences in the spring and fall,” said Graham County Schools Chief Technology Officer Myra Waldroup. “It will allow teachers to go to the STEM conference once a year. The teachers will also benefit from the NCTIES (North Carolina Technology in Education Society) conference this spring.
“It will provide supplies and needed materials for Robbinsville Elementary, Middle School, and High School and give them opportunities to participate in “Smart Tank” (a competition based on the popular television program Shark Tank).
The grant will also provide a stipend for STEM coaches at each school and their clubs.
“I will also be able to purchase STEM supplies for my classroom,” said Robbinsville Elementary School STEM Coach Dusty Orr. “We do a lot of engineering activities and STEM Career education. The grant will be a great help to our program.”
The grant partnership also includes WRESA (Western Region Education Service Alliance) and the Mountain Satellite Office of the Science House of N.C. State.