Chevron, Benedum give STEM grants to 43 school districts

Chevron Appalachia and the Benedum Foundation hope a series of grants will put some steam into STEM programs at 43 area school districts.

The most recent Innovation Grants, now in their third year, went to 43 school districts in southwestern Pennsylvania, northern West Virginia and eastern Ohio, and totalled nearly $250,000.

The grants are meant to help rural school districts develop programs in science, technology, engineering and math, also known as STEM.

Since 2017, the Chevron and Benedum Foundation-led initiative has awarded more than $500,000 in Innovation Grants to schools across the region, with EQT’s support further expanding the program this year.

“We hope these grants help spark an interest and prepare students with the science and math skills critical to in-demand energy and advanced manufacturing careers,” said Trip Oliver, Chevron Appalachia manager for Policy, Government and Public Affairs.

The Pennsylvania grants will fund 13 projects in 12 school districts across Washington, Greene and Fayette counties, and will total $87,900 for initiatives in coding, robotics, STEM and music.

The Pennsylvania grants are as follows:

FAYETTE COUNTY

• Brownsville Area Elementary School — $3,500, “Music, Movement, Technology, Oh My!”
• Connellsville Area Middle School/CACTC — $7,500, Real World Innovations for Career Success
• West Crawford (Connellsville Area schools) — $4,000, circuit boards
• Frazier Elementary (Frazier schools) — $7,500, Environmental Learning Extension
• Jefferson Morgan Middle-High School — $7,500, Jefferson-Morgan print shop

GREENE COUNTY

• Carmichaels Area Elementary, Middle, High Schools — $7,500, Financial Literacy Lab
• Waynesburg Central Elementary School — $7,500, smART Space 2.0
• West Greene Junior-Senior High — $7,500, 21st Century Fabrication Technologies and the Business Classroom

WASHINGTON COUNTY

• Avella Junior-Senior High — $6,300, media center enhancement
• Bethlehem High School — $7,200, The STEAM Adventures of Tom Sawyer
• Burgettstown Area Elementary Center — $7,500, Remake Research
• Fort Cherry Elementary Center — $6,900, Battlebots: Innovative Creators of Technology & Design
• Trinity High School — $7,500, T Talk