December 19, 2014 - Westinghouse supports schools and students who strive for a scientific education for the future of the nuclear industry. Created a few years ago, the N-Vision a Brighter Future Educational Grant assists schools across the U.S. in the subjects of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) with hands-on projects that sparks the interest of children in grades K – 12.
Every autumn, three schools are awarded $1,000 to complete a proposed STEM project by the end of the school year. Westinghouse grants another $2,000 to each of the school’s science departments for their specific needs for a total grant amount of $3,000 per school.
Next year’s updated online application will be available during the summer of 2015 through the following link: http://westinghousenuclear.com/About/Community-and-Education/Educational-Grant
Over 100 applications were submitted for the current school year. The following three schools were chosen to receive the 2014/2015 N-Vision a Brighter Future Educational Grant:
- Newaygo Middle School, Newaygo, Michigan
- Nielson Elementary School, Galesburg, Illinois
- Mahalia Jackson Elementary School, Chicago, Illinois
Newaygo Middle School plans to include engineering and eighth grade science students in a project called Engineering Enrichment. About 1,000 students will work in pairs or small groups on a project to build and explore machines and mechanisms, investigate motorized machines, calibrate and capture wind, and study gearing mechanisms using construction brick kits and accessories. Students will also investigate the principles of simple machines, mechanisms and structures; experiment with balanced and unbalanced forces and friction; measure distance, time, speed and weight, and much more. The project goal is to expose students to interactive engineering opportunities they may not encounter in a traditional classroom. Through this exposure, students will gain inspiration to participate in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) events outside of school.
Nielson Elementary School will use its grant funds on a project called Expanding Science beyond the Textbook for all of its 75 third grade students. Teachers will move beyond textbook lessons and provide students with opportunities to make scientific predictions, conduct experiments and analyze results. A few Knox College professors and students will form an after-school science club to support this project. Those students will conduct experiments and then go back to the classroom to conduct the experiment again as helpers to their peers.
Mahalia Jackson Elementary School will conduct a project called Solar 500 with up to 275 students. Solar 500 will use project-based inquiry learning to spark the interest of students in the field of STEM. Students will design solar cars, visit the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago to explore the museums Electricity from Solar Energy Exhibit, and extend their learning to design a scale model vacation home that runs on solar panels. The project goal is for students to gain a deeper understanding of solar energy.
Congratulations to all schools that took time to apply for this grant!
Tracey Rapali
Charitable Giving & Community Outreach
Westinghouse Electric Company
