May 28, 2020

Each year, teachers, facilitators and hundreds of students throughout our six-state footprint greatly benefit from our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Classroom Grants program – which provides grants up to $1,000.

This year, things have changed due to COVID-19.

“After careful consideration and in consultation with our Educational Advisory Council, we have decided to suspend our STEM Grant program this year,” said Torey Tolson, consultant, Corporate Oversight & Community Involvement. “The current home-schooling requirements and the uncertainty of plans for the upcoming school year, lead us to believe that STEM projects beyond the regular curriculum may be challenging to manage.”

The Foundation is looking forward to reinstating the program and application cycle in April 2021, according to Torey.

“Last year’s record-breaking number of applications and total awards funded are true indications of how much this program helps educators better prepare students for career opportunities – including within our industry,” she said.

A Fishy Experiment

Students at the Willoughby-Eastlake (Ohio) School of Innovation used their 2019-2020 FirstEnergy STEM Grant funds for a Trout in the Classroom Project – a hands-on learning experience with a fish species common to their area. The students acquired environmental education through devising a trout hatching system consisting of a chilled fish tank, aquatic water chemicals, filter, water circulation system, hatching box and eggs provided by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.