The Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), in partnership with the Bicentennial Volunteers, is helping to create the next generation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) workers. This is being done through the organizations’ TSIN STEM Classroom Grant Program.
The grant program is designed to promote STEM-related projects and education in K-12 schools across the Tennessee Valley, including in Alabama. Grants of up to $5,000 can be requested through the program.
“A lot of times schools don't have a lot of excess money to spend on things. They run a pretty tight budget,” said Adam May, a spokesperson for TVA. “So, this is money that teachers can use to do something extra; to do something they wouldn't be able to otherwise offer their students. We really think it's a great way to inspire kids.”
Both private and public schools are eligible to apply for the grant. Applications must include a project proposal in which the educator is looking to get funded through the grant.
The project should be related to a TVA priority area such as environment, energy, economic and career development or community problem solving. Funding up to $5,000 will be awarded to projects that are unique, innovative, creative and incorporate deign thinking and 21st Century skills.
According to TVA, previously funded projects included an elementary school’s student-designed hydroponic system that can grow crops without soil, a semester-long study of water quality for a high school ecology class, a collaborative investigation at a middle school to see how a bicycle can be used as a usable power source and a project where elementary students developed “STEM @ Home Career Kits.”
“This is just something that we hope that can inspire young people in our region to become interested in the STEM field, because we know there's a shortage of STEM workers, not only in this area, but across the nation,” said May.
In addition to a written project proposal, applications must also include a budget outline using a TVA provided template. Schools or individual teachers are welcome to apply but should be for a school that receives power from a TVA distributor.
Applications for the TSIN STEM Classroom Grant Program will close on September 15. Grants may be requested in the amounts of $1,000 $1,500, $2,500, $3,500 and $5,000. Applicants will be notified regarding the status of their application by November 30, 2024.
The TSIN STEM Classroom Grant Program is sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority in partnership with the Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated.
More information on the grant program and the application can be found here.
