Area Teachers Awarded Grants from SRNS During Curbside Celebration
Monday, June 7th, 2021
As part of the 2021 Innovative Teaching Mini Grants Program funded by Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS), 78 local educators received grants ranging from $500-1,000 prior to participating in a recent curbside celebration.
Using this money, teachers can purchase equipment, supplies and resources to enhance their students’ performances in mathematics and science.
“With this grant, I plan to purchase science kits that will allow my students to investigate and make sense of science and mathematical process skills that often elude them. The kits will help foster critical thinking, in order to plan, implement and connect science and math to the real-world,” said Vanessa Stone, fifth grade teacher at Millbrook Elementary School, Aiken, South Carolina.
The Mini Grants Program recog- nizes and supports projects that enhance elementary and middle school science, mathematics and technology curricula.
Typically, the grants are used to purchase project materials, hands- on kits and computer programs such as: Using Maps and Robots to Explore Animal Shelters; Marvelous Math Stations; 3D Printing, Out of the Box Thinking; and Kindergarten Computer Coding and Connections.
Educators from all Central Savannah River Area elementary and middle schools (public and private) are eligible to apply annually for $50,000 in mini grants, funded by SRNS parent companies Fluor, Newport News Nuclear and Honeywell.
Educators from the greater Aiken-Augusta area recently received grants ranging from $500 to $1,000 as a part of this year’s Savannah River Nuclear Solutions Innovative Teaching Mini Grants Program. This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, teachers received grants at a curbside award celebration.
“I am forever grateful to SRNS for approving our grant,” said Stone. “Without their generosity, students would not have access to the kits that are related to the fifth-grade science and math standards. The kits bring the standards to life by giving students practical experience. The Mini Grant program is extremely important to local educators, because the program serves as a way to connect with the community through this type of support.”
Gladys Moore, SRNS Education Outreach, applauds the efforts of teachers who participate in the various programs offered by SRNS. She said, “By doing so, they demonstrate how deeply invested they are in making a difference in the lives of their students.”
To date, more than $700,000 has been contributed to support educators throughout the region.
The SRNS education outreach programs use unique Savannah River Site resources to enhance inter-
est in science, mathematics, engineering and technology while supporting improvements in education. The SRNS management team believes the business, industry, government and the academic community should partner together to improve educational opportunities for all students in the region
