For the second year in a row, Midview East Intermediate School has been awarded $5,000 to expand STEM learning projects through the Ohio STEM Learning Network (OSLN) Classroom Grant Program, funded by Battelle.
Midview East Intermediate is one of 161 schools in the state and one of two in Lorain County to receive the funding, which will create sustainable science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning projects to benefit students for years to come. East’s proposal, “STEMtronics Enhancement,” was submitted by STEM/Project Lead the Way (PLTW) Teacher Kim Kauffman with support from Curriculum Director Jodi Wolf.
The Middies’ grant funds will be used for the purchase of 20 Hummingbird Robotics Kits. Utilizing these kits, fifth and sixth-grade students will learn how to program and code in STEM class, bringing their projects to life with lights, motors, and sensors. Eventually, Kauffman hopes students will utilize the robotics kits to enhance their cross-curricular project-based learning experiences, such as animating a poem, modeling a roller coaster, lighting up and sounding a game buzzer, adding a moving tail to show an animal adaptation, and many more.
“I am constantly amazed and inspired by our students’ desire to think bigger and create better. Introducing animatronics not only supports that desire but also provides them with the opportunity to take ownership of their learning and discovery,” said Kauffman. “My ultimate goal is to build enthusiasm and curiosity that translates into extended interest in STEM and participation in our Project Lead The Way program in grades 7-12.”
The animatronic integration will culminate in a demonstration of mastery and ultimate creativity with a school-wide engineering design challenge. Students will build mini-golf holes with moving and light-up elements for the Midview community to enjoy during the district’s K-6 STEM Night on April 25.
Last year, Midview East Intermediate utilized its OSLN grant funding to purchase Makedo tools, creative card builder kits, Dazzlinks, a Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo LaboKits, which were used to create upcycled arcade games.
Like the supplies purchased last year, the Hummingbird Robotics Kits are sustainable, allowing students to engage in new design challenges each year.
“As a district, we have continuously prioritized the creation of a K-12 STEM education culture and have worked to expand our PLTW classes and career pathways in a way that reflects that. We are proud of the work we have done and the opportunities our students have access to,” said Midview Local Schools Superintendent Dr. Bruce Willingham. “Mrs. Kauffman has been a champion of Midview’s STEM programming for nearly 25 years. We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and unwavering support of our student's ability to create and innovate.”
The grant program fosters the growth of OSLN as a public-private partnership between the non-profit research institute and the State of Ohio. Providing more access for all students to experience quality STEM education is Battelle’s top philanthropic priority.