K-5 STEM Grants seek to promote equitable access to and increased quality of STEM programs in elementary schools in order to better prepare students for a career pathway to success in the New Nevada. This grant program aligns with four key strategies identified in the State STEM Strategic Plan.
- To increase the prevalence of evidence-based, high-quality formal and informal STEM practices and programs in Nevada’s elementary schools.
- To increase the use of hands-on, evidence-based, experiential STEM learning in grades K-5.
- To increase the percentage of elementary schools that teach science three-plus hours per week.
- To increase interest in, awareness of, and achievement in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in grades K-5, particularly amongst demographic groups that are traditionally underrepresented in STEM.
K-5 STEM Program grants are awarded to fund one of the programs on the STEM Advisory Council's List of Recommended Programs found here.
K-5 STEM Education Program Grant Awardees
Douglas County Elementary Schools, Douglas County School District was awarded $19,920 to partner with DRI Science Alive to develop two new Green Boxes: Robots, Computer Science and Coding-Artful Architecture and Engineering for all seven elementary schools. Science Alive’s Green Boxes are customized to encompass applied science, 21st century technology, and environmental science and STEM topic areas. Green Boxes are uniquely designed to support teachers in teaching inquiry-based learning, with hands-on activities. Each Green Box provide educators lessons, non-consumable and consumable materials, books, equipment, teaching aids, and other and hands-on teaching tools to help students learn about environmental science and STEM topics. For this grant, DRI’s Science Alive and Douglas County will develop two different topics; Robotics, computer science, and coding for grade 2 and Artful Architecture and Engineering for grade 3. Each group will make four of each topic box/kit, for a total of eight mini Green Boxes and eight DCSD science kits.
Carson City Elementary Schools, Carson City School District was awarded $19,896.21 for STEM in Action for all six elementary schools. This program will provide the additional STEM materials needed to supplement the District-adopted science curriculum in the area of engineering. With the lack of engineering materials for each grade, the addition of ETA's STEM in Action program will fill that gap and help teachers focus on the engineering design process: define the problem, plan solutions, make a model, test the model and reflect and redesign.
Oasis Academy Public Charter School was awarded $20,000 for the Kinderlab Robotics Program. This program uses, KIBO a robotic kit specifically designed for children aged 4-7. Students imagine, build, program and bring their own robots to life as they code with wooden building blocks. Students learn the Engineering Design Process as they create programs and sequences.
Yerington Elementary School, Lyon County School District was awarded $18,753.28 for the STEM in Action Program. This program will be implemented in every grade, kindergarten through fourth, with fidelity on a permanent schedule. It will be used to back up not only the Nevada Academic Content Standards in Science (NGSS), but will provide a solid experience in engineering/STEM practices for all students. In addition teachers will use the opportunity to address the cross-curricular nature of the NGSS and will incorporate both English Language Arts standards as well as Mathematics standards.
Hugh Gallegher Elementary School, Storey County School District was awarded $16,479.40 for the STEM in Action Program, which is a supplemental, module-based curriculum for grades PreK-5 that harnesses the power of hands-on learning to inspire curiosity and nurture critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Modules follow the engineering design process of defining the problem, planning solutions, making a prototype, testing the prototype, reflecting, communication results, and re-designing.
Coral Academy of Science - Reno, Washoe County School District was awarded $19,996.86 for Project Lead the Way (PLTW) to improve the strength of its STEM program. The program offers hands-on curriculum that aligns with the Nevada Academic Content Standards. They will offer the PLTW Launch program and offer all 5 interdisciplinary modules. Starting this program they anticipate that it will give their students the confidence they need when it comes to middle school and high school Science classes to enthusiastically register for courses that they might not have wanted to in the past.