Local teachers earn STEM grant through Education Foundation efforts

Fifth grade students at Morningside Elementary School will have the opportunity to learn and apply STEM skills beyond the classroom through an Innovation Generation grant from the Motorola Solutions Foundation, the charitable arm of Motorola Solutions, Inc. The Motorola Solutions Foundation provided $50,000 for a second year to challenge Florida’s district-wide local education foundations to inspire students through projects designed to help them solve real-world problems in science, math, technology and engineering (STEM) areas this school year through a grant to the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations (CFEF). St. Lucie County Education Foundation’s project was one of 10 chosen to receive $5,000 through a competitive judging process with each application being reviewed and scored by a panel of STEM industry professionals through CFEF. STEMulating Models, students will create power plant models to show the different sources of power that create electricity in the United States. After learning about the sources crucial for energy through National Energy Education Development Units, students will design and create their own models of power plants using LEGOs. The business partner for this project is Jeff Cook of Florida Power and Light. “Each year, I am truly amazed by the ground-breaking work our grant recipients like the Consortium of Florida Education Foundations accomplish through their Innovation Generation grants,” said Matt Blakely, director, Motorola Solutions Foundation. “These grantees are playing an active role in developing the future of STEM education for our country. As a company dedicated to helping people be their best in the moments that matter, Motorola Solutions could not be more honored to support programs such as CFEF.” Pictured, from left, are Superintendent Michael Lannon, School Board chairman Carol Hilson, Morningside Elementary assistant principal Cindy Roach, and St. Lucie Education Foundation Executive Director Jim McKenzie.