FirstEnergy awards STEM grants to 5 local teachers
GREENSBURG – Eleven area teachers, including five in four Washington County schools, have been awarded science, technology, engineering and mathematics grants by FirstEnergy Corp. in its West Penn Power utility service area.
The grants will be used for a variety of hands-on projects, workshops and teacher-development programs throughout the school year.
Grant winners, their schools and projects are:
• Sharon Baillie, Burgettstown Middle/High School – Using food preparation, safety and storage to learn math and science concepts;
• Lenni Nedley and Joshua Nicklow, Ringgold Middle School, Finleyville – Exploration of circuits and switches to build a game box;
• Nick Arico, Charleroi Area High School – Building a working drone;
• Brandon Botzer, Trinity Area High School – Design and build a rocket that will ascend 250 meters;
• Brett Bielewicz, Heritage Elementary School, Murrysville – Design and build a school garden;
• Paula Giran, Hillcrest Intermediate School, North Huntingdon – Learn about solar power and build and use a solar oven;
• Sue Mellon, Cathy Restauri, Rebecca Bachman, Colfax Elementary School, Springdale – Learning finch robot programming language;
• Jenn Landsberg, Franklin Regional Middle School, Murrysville – Hummingbird robot building to learn engineering and robotics.
“FirstEnergy has long supported educational activities in our communities, particularly those that encourage students to pursue careers in the critical fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics,” said David McDonald, regional president of West Penn Power. “We are pleased to provide assistance to several STEM projects this year that support our students, schools and educators as they work to help build a strong workforce for the future.”
FirstEnergy offers grants of as much as $500 to individual teachers and administrators at schools served by its electric utility operating companies and in communities where it has facilities.
Grant recipients are recommended by local educators who make up FirstEnergy’s Educational Advisory Council. As part of the program, recipients must furnish a written summary and evaluation of their projects that can be shared with other educators in FirstEnergy’s service area.
West Penn Power serves approximately 720,000 customers in 24 Pennsylvania counties.