Citizens for Nuclear Technology Awareness recently awarded six grants to local teachers to help fund science-related curriculum in their classrooms.
The grants, each about $500, will be used to fund projects that promote an increased understanding of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM); atomic and nuclear fundamentals; radiation and nuclear materials safety; and applications of nuclear technology.
The 2020 grant winners from Aiken County Public Schools are Trina Stidem and Alvina Jackson, middle-level intro to coding, at Langley Bath Clearwater Middle School, and Angela Virella, 6th grade social studies, Jackson STEM Middle School.
With the project Full STEM Ahead – Let’s Get Ready To Code!, Stidem and Jackson will help give students the opportunity to learn how to code and instantly see their creation using Ozobots. Coding helps students develop their critical thinking skills and integrate their creativity into their projects, according to the teachers’ grant proposal.
“The goal for our students is to give each of them the opportunity to feel empowered with the knowledge of coding and programming so they can tackle the digital world with ease. Ozobots helps students to think-critically, redesign and create. Projects such as this one will engage our students on so many levels. It is our goal that this assignment collaborates with other learning opportunities planned for my students and will motivate them to pursue careers in STEM,” said the teachers in their proposal.
In addition to CNTA, sponsors of the CNTA Educator Grants Program are American Nuclear Society – Savannah River, Huntington Ingalls Industries, Savannah River National Laboratory, and the SRS-Community Reuse Organization.
CNTA is excited to establish this educator grants program to facilitate more educational outreach by the organization, said Dr. Jim Marra, CNTA executive director.
“These grant awards are part of our continued partnership with area educators to provide instruction in the areas of science and math. We hope students find these activities informative, interesting and most importantly fun,” Marra said.
CNTA is an Aiken-based charitable educational organization dedicated to providing factual information about nuclear topics and educating the public on nuclear issues.
For more information, contact CNTA at CNTA@bellsouth.net or visit www.cntaware.org.
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